The third Awareness Workshop on the Kenya - EU EPA was held in the Lower Eastern - Machakos County on October 31, 2024. The workshop, supported by the European Union Delegation to Kenya, the Danish Industry East Africa, and co-organized by the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry and several private sector Business Membership Organizations (BMOs) in Kenya, is part of an initiative aimed at educating Kenyan enterprises about the provisions of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which aims to foster economic growth, enhance trade relations, and support sustainable development goals.

The Kenya - EU EPA will boost bilateral trade in goods and investment flows and contribute to sustainable economic growth. It will also be accompanied by trade-related development cooperation to support economic growth and job creation. While Kenya will liberalize 82.6% of imports from the EU by value and the EU will fully liberalize its market, the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) includes a phased reduction period of 15 years for intermediate products and 25 years for finished products that Kenya has agreed to liberalize. Additionally, an Infant Industry Clause allows Kenya to protect developing industries that may be impacted by duty-free EU imports for a maximum of 15 years.

Presentations were made on the Kenya – EU EPA benefits to Kenya’s private sector, opportunities for Kenyan businesses in the EU market; “duty-free and quota-free”, as well as opportunities for the EU’s businesses in Kenya’s market and EPA’s sustainability requirements under the Environment Social Governance.

In attendance were stakeholders from the EU Delegation, the Danish Industry, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), the Avocado Society of Kenya (ASOK), (FPC), the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK), the Kenya Flower Council (KFC), the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), the Agricultural Sector Network (ASNET), the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) among others.

More sensitization forums are planned across other Counties, namely: -

1. Eldoret - November 7;
2. Isiolo - November 14;
3. Kisumu - November 21;
4. Mombasa - November 28; and
5. Nairobi - December 5.