The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger, has urged Kenyan entrepreneurs to expand their range of export products to the EU under the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to boost profits.
While noting that Kenya primarily exports horticultural products such as flowers and vegetables, Geiger emphasized the potential for increased earnings if exporters pivot toward manufactured and high-value goods.
Speaking at a Kenya-EU EPA sensitization forum in Athi River, Machakos County, Geiger highlighted that the EPA presents Kenya with a valuable opportunity to build industrial capacity and advance toward its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country.
“Kenya aims to achieve upper-middle-income status, and this can be realized through establishing manufacturing and processing companies,” she stated.
Machakos County has been proactive in seizing this opportunity by setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which Geiger praised, calling on other counties to follow suit.
“These SEZs offer unique opportunities that can significantly drive manufacturing growth,” she added.
The ambassador assured Kenya of the EU’s commitment to supporting EPA implementation and mentioned that similar forums will be conducted in Europe to attract investment into Kenya, thereby strengthening bilateral trade.
“I encourage the Kenyan government to partner with the private sector to foster a conducive environment for business. Kenya boasts one of the strongest private sectors in Africa, which is why many companies are choosing to establish operations here,” she said.
Joseph Rotich, Director of External Trade at the State Department for Trade, highlighted that the EPA provides Kenyan exporters with unrestricted access to the EU market.
“The agreement guarantees quota-free and duty-free access to all 27 EU countries,” Rotich noted, adding that this will help expand Kenya’s industrial base and open new markets, including the United States.
Rotich affirmed the State Department’s commitment to fully implementing the agreement, with an EPA implementation strategy in the advanced stages.
He pointed out that the EPA also aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), offering EU investors in Kenya access to wider African markets.
Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Acting CEO Tobias Alando welcomed the EPA as a promising opportunity for Kenyan manufacturers to both export to the EU and establish joint ventures with EU companies to set up operations in Kenya.
“We call upon counties to adopt policies that create an enabling environment for the manufacturing sector,” Alando said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Fresh Produce Exporters Consortium of Kenya, Okisegere Ojepat, urged Kenyan producers to seize the EPA opportunity and scale up production to meet EU demand.
Ojepat observed that Kenyan exports to the EU had declined recently, primarily due to evolving regulatory requirements, but expressed optimism that the EPA would address these challenges.
“We must ensure a steady supply to the 27-country economic bloc and encourage farmers and exporters to adhere to standards to access these markets,” he added.
Ojepat also called on national and county governments to establish regulatory frameworks that enable farmers and exporters to access the EU market more efficiently.
Other key figures attending the forum included Machakos County Secretary Dr. Muya Ndambuki, as well as public and private sector stakeholders.
The forum in Machakos is part of a national series aimed at raising awareness of the opportunities provided by the Kenya-EU EPA.
