On Monday 21^st March 2022, KEPSA CEO Ms. Carole Kariuki joined Hon. Betty Maina, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization, Trade & Enterprise Development/ East African Community (EAC) & Regional Development at the Kenya – UK Business Climate Roadshow in London, United Kingdom.

This business, trade and investment roadshow was organized by the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of EAC & Regional Development, KEPSA amongst other stakeholders. The roadshow provided an opportunity for G2G, G2B and B2B meetings.  The Kenya-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was ratified by the Kenyan Parliament on 9 March 2021, paving way for ease of long-term trade between the two countries for a 25-year duration.

It provides an opportunity for the Government of Kenya to harvest early gains from the EPA with the UK remaining an indispensable trade partner to Kenya. This has been demonstrated over the years; for instance, the main exports to UK in 2020 were comprised of tea (38%), vegetables (24%), and cut flowers (16%), with all the three accounting for 78% of total exports to UK in 2020. Top 10 products accounted for 95% of Kenya’s total exports to the market in 2020, with Kenya’s total imports from UK amounting to $336 million in 2020.

Present during the event included Dr. Kevit Desai – Principal Secretary for East African Community, Ambassador Kirimi Kaberia – Principal Secretary for Industrialization, H.E. Amb. Manoah Esipisu – Kenya High Commissioner to United Kingdom, Government of Kenya, Dr. Richard Ngatia, President, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ms. Sonal Sejpal, Chair – British Chamber of Commerce – Kenya, Alex Milne, Country Director, Department of International Trade – Kenya, UK Government, Dharmini Shah, Deputy Country Director, DIT – Kenya, UK Government, Private sector participants and government officials.

The event was held at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Regent’s Park and was themed ‘Kenya – UK Business Climate Roundtable; Doing Business in Kenya’.

While making remarks during the meeting, PS Desai pointed out the focus of the ministry during the five-day roadshow. “Our main task at hand here in the UK, will be to engage with the UK Government and UK Business Community to discuss opportunities for furthering the economic cooperation between the UK and Kenya. The Government of Kenya is on a path of renewed engagements with both domestic and foreign private investors. This is deliberate with the intention of not only improving our relations, but identifying opportunities for further reforms that will positively impact on how the Business Community operates in Kenya.” He said.

In her keynote address, Hon. Betty Maina underscored the Government of Kenya’s commitment to improving the business and investment environment. She highlighted some of the key business environment enabling reforms and transformation initiatives that the Kenyan Government has implemented over the past few years, including judicial reforms, business registration, paying taxes, land registration, import and export facilitation and legal & regulatory reforms.

Ms. Sonal Sejpal – Chair, British Chamber of Commerce extended an invitation to British investors to invest in Kenya and articulated the services they offer to assist the investors.

Dr. Richard Ngatia, President, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry invited collaborators and investors in agriculture, digital economy, SME and Start Ups Development. “We also seek to promote industrial diversification, investment programmes and enhance productivity through public-private sector initiatives- (PPP) programmes, especially in Infrastructure development,” He said while referring to Ksh. 2 trillion Lamu Port, proposed Konza City tech hub and Tatu city projects.

The KEPSA CEO, Ms. Kariuki while delivering a keynote presentation committed to continue to strengthen the partnership between the private sector, the government, and all other partners to continuously engage in dialogue to identify and resolve any emerging issues as well as facilitate investors entry into the country by linking them with the necessary authorities, other players in the industry and also supporting them through advocacy to address any policy or business regulatory issue while doing business in Kenya. She noted that the Export Potential Map shows that UK has the 3^rd highest untapped export potential for Kenyan goods estimated at US $203 million. Ms. Kariuki added that the EPA deal will help unlock opportunities for diversification of Kenyan exports in line with Kenya’s Integrated National Export Development and Promotion Strategy and the Big 4 Agenda.

The KEPSA CEO also held a series of working meetings while in the U.K. Ms. Kariuki paid a courtesy call to H.E. Amb. Manoah Esipisu – Kenya High Commissioner to U.K where the two held discussions focusing on growing Kenya/UK trade and investments.