According to a statement released by the conference organisers, "The postponement has been compelled by an increase in cancellations by international speakers as their countries' insurance policies will not recognize their traveling into Kenya, including Nairobi's Central Business District, in the light of the ongoing political and civil unrest."
The statement said the international speakers were expected to come from a number of countries including the USA, Britain, France, Ireland, Singapore, Canada, India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Nigeria.
"The main conference will now run from 1-3 April 2008 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, with a mini one-day MBA course facilitated by renowned international speaker and banking consultant Joe DiVanna taking place on Friday, 28 March," the statement said.
DiVanna will also be the opening keynote speaker for the conference, as well as deliver a free lecture for senior university students, graduates and academics on the need for innovative banking in Africa to bank the unbanked.
He will also address an executive breakfast for bank CEOs to brief them on latest trends in international banking. DiVanna is also an expert on Islamic banking, and while he is in Nairobi he will be briefing a number of banks on their Islamic banking strategies.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, Professor Njuguna Ndung'u is scheduled to open the main conference on 1 April.
A press release issued by AITEC Africa's Chairman, Sean Moroney, emphasized that the conference is an opportunity for the country's business community to reinforce Kenya's role as a regional financial hub and Nairobi's status as an international conference destination.
"The recent tragic events in Kenya make it all the more important for Kenya's business community to support the event as a platform to tap into latest international trends in banking technology, learn from peers from throughout Africa and internationally and think about how they can apply them in developing the country's financial sector to world-class levels," Moroney said.
AITEC Africa is organising this conference, which has the theme 'Sharing Knowledge and Best Practices in Banking across the Region'.
The conference, which was last held in Nairobi in February last year is aimed at enabling players in the financial sector to access the experience of international and regional experts in order to strengthen competitiveness and productivity.
Bernard Matthewman, Managing Director of the Paynet Group, which is the lead sponsor of the conference said the situation will have normalized by April, providing a favourable environment for the conference and noted that support and optimism exuded by the speakers and other local and international participating organisations would ensure a successful and informative event.
Nairobi remains a major economic hub in the region and the continued support to hold the event in the city further reinforces this position.
The conference, which has attracted an interest from Africa and the world-over, is expected to host over 60 local, regional and international speakers, 300 delegates and 40 exhibiting companies.
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