NAIROBI, Kenya, July 9 – Kenyan manufacturers and exporters are set to benefit from a new government strategy aimed at boosting exports to the European Union by addressing trade bottlenecks and helping businesses comply with international standards.
The government on Thursday unveiled the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Implementation Strategy, a 10-year roadmap designed to help businesses take full advantage of duty-free and quota-free access to the 27-member EU market while promoting industrialisation, investment and job creation.
The strategy focuses on practical measures to help manufacturers, agricultural exporters and small businesses meet European market requirements, improve customs processes and increase value addition.
Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the roadmap is intended to convert preferential market access into real business opportunities.
“The Kenya–EU EPA aims to secure existing markets while unlocking new opportunities for Kenyan enterprises, attracting investment and promoting job creation,” he said.
“This strategy therefore serves as a guiding framework to harness the full potential of the EPA.”
The European Union remains Kenya’s largest export market and second-largest trading partner, accounting for about 21 percent of the country’s annual exports.
According to the International Trade Centre, Kenya exported goods worth Sh239 billion to the EU in 2025, while imports from the bloc stood at Sh224.5 billion, leaving Kenya with a trade surplus.
The implementation strategy identifies six priority areas that have long constrained exporters, including sanitary and phytosanitary standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment, customs and trade facilitation, information and communication technology, structured commodity trade and sustainable trade.
The government expects the reforms to help manufacturers expand exports of processed and value-added goods while enabling agricultural exporters to comply more easily with the EU’s stringent food safety and quality standards.
Officials also expect the roadmap to attract more investment into export-oriented manufacturing by providing greater certainty on how the EPA will be implemented over the next decade.
European Union Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger said the implementation phase would determine whether businesses realise the full benefits of the agreement.
“The launch of the implementation strategy is an important step in translating the agreement into tangible opportunities for Kenyan businesses and exporters.”
“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 Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement came into force on July 1, 2024, guaranteeing Kenyan exports duty-free and quota-free access to a market with a combined economic output of about $21.2 trillion.
Kenya’s leading exports to the EU include cut flowers, tea, coffee, fruits, vegetables and spices, while imports from the bloc largely comprise machinery, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment and motor vehicles.
The government hopes the implementation strategy will enable more Kenyan firms to tap into the vast European market by reducing compliance costs, improving trade facilitation and encouraging greater value addition, key pillars in its broader export-led industrialisation agenda.
