By Macharia Kamau

Penetrating foreign markets has always been an uphill task for Kenyan traders, despite offering competitive products.

Private sector initiatives to sell the country have been successfully but in some cases they have had no major impact due to lack of Government support.

"Government agencies have done little to market our products abroad," said Mr Jalal Balala, a Dubai based tea and coffee trader.

"Some consumers in United Arab Emirates (UAE) think most tea and coffee in the market is from Brazil or Asian countries yet it originates from Kenya."

Apart from being a tea and coffee trader in Dubai, Balala’s firm is making inroads to market Kenya and her products.

He manages an exhibition at Dubai’s world-renowned entertainment and shopping venue — The Global Village.

It is open three months a year, between November and February.

Countries are assigned exhibition stands — referred to as country pavilions — where traders sell their wares as well as make contacts with other entrepreneurs.

Balala’s firm, Al Azizah Food Stuff Company, has in the past tried to market Kenya and its products in Dubai.

"Between 2002 and 2006 we had set up the Kenyan pavilion at the Global Village but the Kenyan embassy took it," he said.

Balala tried to do the same for Tanzania but Government officials held the same views as their Kenyan counterparts. Hence, for the last two years he settled for a model that appeals to both Kenyan and regional traders.

"We are now running the East and West Africa Pavilion, and in the three years it has been able to attract exhibitors from as far North Africa," he said.

He said Kenyan and Tanzanian Governments have been unable to sustain their exhibition stands and traders from the two countries are hosted at the East and West Africa Pavilion.

This year, Kenya Tourist Board, Kenya Investment Authority and Brand Kenya are some Government affiliated organisations that will have stands at East and West Africa Pavilion, a move that signifies the Government’s failure to partner with the private sector.

While the pavilion has a continental outlook, Balala said Kenyans form a majority of the exhibitors, having taken 25 out of the 60 stands available at the exhibition this year.

Last year, the Global Village attracted over four million people and the number is expected to go up.

"This year’s event is expected to be better because Western economies are showing signs of recovery from the global financial crisis," he said.

Balala notes that Dubai is growing as a re-export centre due to friendly policies adopted by authorities, a factor that Kenyan importers and exporters can take advantage of.

europE and Asia

"Products re-exported from the UAE are zero-rated and proximity to Europe and Asia can make the region ideal for Kenyan businesses to set base to export their products to other markets," said Balala.

Re-export trade accounts for a third of the entire trading sector in the UAE and forms an a big proportion of Dubai’s total income.

—kmacharia@standardmedia.co.ke