Laikipia County Woman Representative Jane Kagiri has sounded the alarm over the looming expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), calling for its urgent extension to protect thousands of Kenyan jobs.
In a motion tabled in the National Assembly, Kagiri urged the government to push for AGOA’s renewal for an additional 16 years, until 2041. She stressed that the programme has been a cornerstone of Kenya’s export sector, generating employment and attracting foreign investment.
“Kenya alone risks losing more than 66,000 direct jobs if AGOA is not renewed. Women, who make up about 75 percent of the beneficiaries, will be hardest hit, and this will affect education, healthcare, and poverty reduction efforts,” Kagiri noted.
Since its inception in 2000, AGOA has opened the U.S. market to African products, boosting exports of coffee, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, valued at over USD 500 million in 2020. The initiative has also transformed Kenya’s textile and apparel industry, creating thousands of jobs, particularly for young women.
Kagiri further warned that AGOA’s expiry in September 2025 would spark uncertainty, deter investment, disrupt supply chains, and negatively affect businesses in both Africa and the United States. She emphasized that the programme has also been critical to U.S. supply chain diversification and has strengthened bilateral trade links under frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
To safeguard jobs and businesses, Kagiri’s motion proposes a two-year transition period should AGOA not be renewed, giving Kenya and the U.S. time to negotiate an alternative trade agreement.
AGOA was last extended in 2015, but with its expiry drawing closer, there have been growing calls from African governments, private sector leaders, and policymakers for a long-term renewal. Kagiri’s push adds urgency to the debate, as Kenya and other African economies seek to preserve the gains made over the past two decades.
