Kenya has made significant strides in global trade by securing market access representing 46 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to Acting Director of External Trade, Joseah Rotich. Speaking in Nairobi during a sensitization workshop for the National Implementation Committee (NIC) on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation strategy, Rotich emphasized the importance of leveraging international trade agreements to boost Kenya’s exports and economic growth.
Key trade agreements such as the Kenya–EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Kenya–UK EPA, Kenya–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), AGOA, AfCFTA, COMESA, and the East African Community (EAC) have opened vast market opportunities for Kenyan producers and manufacturers across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States.
Rotich highlighted AfCFTA as a transformative agreement that not only seeks to enhance intra-African trade but also deepen regional integration. He urged Kenya to prioritize exports in agriculture, livestock and fisheries, manufacturing, mining, handicrafts, and oil and gas to fully capitalize on trade opportunities in Central and West Africa. Additionally, he identified key service sectors including business, tourism, education, ICT, and logistics as having strong potential under AfCFTA.
Miriam Bomett, Head of Policy and Regulatory Advocacy at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), lauded the government’s efforts to secure global markets. She stressed the need for a well-informed NIC to effectively implement the AfCFTA and noted that successful execution of the strategy could increase Kenya’s manufacturing capacity from the current 40–50 percent to full potential.
Bomett called for intervention measures such as policy coherence, elimination of non-tariff barriers, and diversification of export markets, especially in areas where Kenya lacks a competitive advantage. She reaffirmed the private sector’s commitment to working with the government to ensure Kenyan businesses benefit from these agreements.
Rotich concluded by underlining the importance of the AfCFTA implementation strategy as a road map to accessing the African market, asserting that a robust and well-equipped NIC is crucial for industrializing Kenya and expanding its footprint across the continent.Kenya Market Acces
