Kenya and the European Union have unveiled an ambitious plan to double the value of trade and investments between the two partners within the next five years.
This, as they build on the strong momentum generated by the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that came into force in July 2024, and which has so far seen a 20 per cent growth.
The target comes with the launch of the Kenya–EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Implementation Strategy.
The comprehensive 10-year roadmap unveiled in Nairobi yesterday seeks to ensure Kenyan businesses fully exploit duty-free and quota-free access to the 27-member European Union market.
The strategy provides a framework to help exporters, manufacturers, farmers, and investors overcome market access challenges while improving Kenya’s competitiveness in one of the world’s largest consumer markets.
Trade Principal Secretary Regina Ombam said the roadmap marks a major step towards translating the EPA into tangible economic gains.
“The implementation strategy is the nexus through which we will see the agreement come alive,” Ombam said.
She noted that since the EPA took effect on July 1, 2024, trade between Kenya and the EU has already grown by about 20 per cent, demonstrating the agreement’s potential to unlock new export opportunities.
“The strategy demonstrates Kenya’s commitment to creating a resilient, competitive and sustainable trading environment that enables businesses of all sizes to access the EU market,” Ombam said.
She said the strategy aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030 development blueprint and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) by promoting sustainable economic growth, expanding exports and creating jobs.
European Union Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger described the strategy as a milestone in strengthening economic relations between the two partners.
“The launch of the implementation strategy is an important step in translating the agreement into tangible opportunities for Kenyan businesses and exporters,” Geiger said.
“The EU remains committed to working closely with the government of Kenya and the private sector to ensure that the EPA delivers inclusive growth and long-term benefits for both sides.”
The EPA secures permanent duty-free and quota-free access for Kenyan goods entering the EU, which remains Kenya’s largest export destination outside the East African Community and its second-largest trading partner overall.
According to International Trade Centre data, Kenya exported goods worth approximately $1.85 billion (Sh240 billion) to the EU in 2025, while imports from Europe stood at about $1.74 billion (Sh226 billion), reflecting a largely balanced trading relationship.
Kenya’s leading exports include cut flowers, tea, coffee, fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, nuts, edible oils and live plants, while imports comprise machinery, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, paper products and industrial technology.
The implementation strategy prioritises six key areas, including sanitary and phytosanitary standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment, customs and trade facilitation, information and communication technology, structured commodity trade, and trade and sustainable development.
Kenya Association of Manufacturers CEO Tobias Alando said the EPA presents significant opportunities for manufacturers to diversify exports and move into higher-value industries.
He noted that besides traditional agricultural exports, sectors such as textiles, leather, automotive components, chemicals, and greenhouse construction materials stand to benefit from easier access to European markets.
“The EPA provides expanded market access by opening the door to a large consumer market across Europe while also attracting investment, technology transfer and strategic partnerships,” Alando said.
He noted that greater exposure to European standards and technologies would improve the quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of Kenyan products.
Africa country director Lillian Ndegwa, however, said market access alone would not be sufficient unless Kenya strengthened logistics, standards compliance, institutions and trade facilitation.
She said the organisation is implementing a €25 million (about Sh3.8 billion) European Union-funded Business Environment and Export Enhancement Program, aimed at improving export competitiveness, logistics, trade finance and value addition.
“The programme, running between 2023 and 2027, is already supporting many of the priorities contained in the EPA implementation strategy,” Ndegwa said.
Private sector players believe the roadmap now provides the certainty investors need, while equipping Kenyan exporters with a clear pathway to expand into one of the world’s richest markets, with a combined value of about $21.2 trillion.
The EU accounts for about 21 per cent of Kenya’s annual exports.
(The Star)
