KEPSA, represented by the Director in charge of Food Security and Climate Change, Dr Bimal Kantaria, was part of the Kenyan delegation at the first-ever Kenya-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council and Investment meeting in London, United Kingdom that kicked off on 21^st March 2023. The four-day forum provided a platform to explore opportunities between Kenya and the UK to grow economic relationships and mutual prosperity.

The Cabinet Secretary, Investments, Trade, and Industry, Hon. Moses Kuria led the Kenyan delegation in bilateral talks with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Mrs Kemi Badenoch and Trade Minister Mr Nigel Huddleston. The meeting brought together senior government officials and representatives of the private sector from Kenya and the UK.

The Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership (2020-2025) aims to deepen cooperation between the two countries to a more ambitious partnership that will make the two countries deliver more prosperous, secure, and sustainable societies and reflect on the prevailing opportunities and challenges.

Hon. Moses Kuria noted that the Government of Kenya celebrates great strides in the 1.1 Billion GBP Bilateral Trade while at the same time acknowledging several Tariff and Non-Tariff challenges from both sides, which he said will be resolved through an agreed-upon framework. “We also reviewed the Strategic Investment Partnership between the two countries as well as various aspects of our development cooperation.” Said Hon. Kuria.

“We are confident that the EPA will allow us to expand beyond agriculture as we explore opportunities around the expansion of key growth sectors such as the digital economy, circular economy and enhancing value chains in productive sectors with stronger linkages to SMEs thus accelerating job and wealth creation amongst youth and SMEs.” Remarked Dr Kantaria who also said that KEPSA is optimistic that, following the ratification of the agreement, businesses will be able to reap the benefits of the two countries’ economic partnership.

The high-powered government delegation ensues Kenya will leverage to intensify pitches to investors in efforts to 10 billion dollars net in Foreign Direct Investments this year. The partnership agreement allows Kenya and UK to maintain trade relations post-Brexit and grants Kenyan goods, particularly horticulture exports duty-free access to the UK. Through the EPA agreement, Kenya and UK will continue to undertake operations on market access and business environment issues, having held discussions in March 2022, as well as the UK's Trade and Business environment roadshow.

The UK is also supporting the Kenyan business environment, particularly on tax and customs, intellectual property and counterfeit goods, public procurement, and research and development, to strengthen Kenya-Commonwealth Trade.