Kenya-UAE trade deal heads to parliament for final approval

Trade PS Ms Regina Ombam speaking during high level UAE - Kenya Trade & Investment Forum. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard] The Kenya-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will be submitted to Parliament this week as the government fast-tracks its implementation. Trade Principal Secretary Regina Ombam, said the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been pushing for the ratification of the trade deal that was signed in the beginning of the year. While addressing a trade and investment forum between Kenya and the UAE and organised by Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Monday, the PS said the benefits in the agreement can only be realised once ratification is done. "We will be going before Parliament on Thursday for this ratification exercise," she said. "We pray that from there, it unlocks the full potential of this agreement." She added: "This is something the UAE has really been pushing for because we already know what this agreement means to us in terms of trade and development." The Kenya-UAE CEPA was signed in January 2025, between President William Ruto and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The CEPA then became the first agreement of its kind signed between the UAE and a mainland African country. Kenya's exports to the UAE stood at Sh101.1 billion (USD 778 million) in 2024 as the country imported Sh337.2 billion (USD 2.6 billion) from its counterpart. Exports to the UAE are largely made up of agricultural produce such as tea, meat and meat products, fruits, vegetables and cut flowers. This is while Kenya imports petroleum and oil products, iron, steel, cement, machinery and chemicals from the UAE. The PS said Kenya offers bankable opportunities in sectors that align perfectly with the UAE's vision for industrial and sustainable growth. "We are seeking partners, not just capital, to realise projects with high impact on job creation and import substitution," she said. One such partnership is on logistics which the UAE is a global leader and Kenya is an essential gateway to Eastern and Central Africa. "If we look at trade in the present times, it is more around efficiency, consistency and how fast you can get to the consumer. When we look at our infrastructure, we need to modernise it so that it meets those tenets," Ombam said. She said Kenya is keen on a strategic partnership on management and modernisation of the Mombasa Port. "This will include co-financing, rehabilitation of older berths and launching a direct shipping line which is vital in cementing Kenya's regional logistics dominance. I am happy that we have one of the big companies that already has a lot of comparative advantage in this sector from the UAE, and we look forward to those deals being reached." The firm in reference is Gulftainer, a global port management and logistics company which plans to co-finance the rehabilitation of older berths at the Mombasa port and enter into a 25-year public private partners (PPP) for the modernisation and operation of berths 11 to 14. The Monday forum was the 10th one by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) who have been scouting for opportunities in the country through annual forums since 2015. SCCI Chair Sultan Al Owais documented that more than 120 memoranda of understanding have been reached between private sector players since the beginning of the forums. Additionally, more than 3,500 business to business meetings have been held and almost Sh400 million ($3 million) worth of bilateral trade has been achieved. Owais said the population growth both in the region and UAE plays a critical role in increasing trade ties. "All this puts pressure on the private sector, including Sharjah, to work more," he said. According to John Mwendwa, Chief Executive at KenInvest, manufacturing, especially of fast-moving consumer goods, and the age of green manufacturing, agriculture and livestock, tourism, energy, transport and infrastructure are some of the areas of interest to the UAE investors. "Agriculture and livestock accounts for 22 per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP), giving you a good opportunity to look at how to plough in some of the subsectors," he said.

Kenya-UAE trade deal heads to parliament for final approval

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