Kenyan businesses selling goods online are pushing for fewer barriers to digital trade, as players in the sector seek a bigger role in shaping the policies and systems governing e-commerce.
The push comes with the launch of the Kenya E-Commerce Alliance (KECA), an industry body bringing together online businesses, marketplaces, logistics companies, payment providers and technology firms.
Rather than focusing solely on increasing online sales, the alliance says the bigger challenge is creating an environment where a transaction that begins on a digital platform can be completed smoothly, particularly when it involves customers in another African country.
The alliance was launched during the Digital Trade Congress 2026 in Nairobi, held under the theme “From Local to Global: Scaling Cross-Border Trade.”
For many small businesses, putting products on social media, an online marketplace or their own website is now relatively easy. The difficulties often emerge after a customer places an order.
Payments can fail or become expensive, delivery networks may not extend across borders, businesses have to navigate different regulatory requirements and customers may hesitate to pay sellers they do not know.
These challenges can make it difficult for a small Kenyan enterprise to turn digital visibility into actual regional business.
Martin Muli, CEO of KECA and convener of the summit, said Kenya had already built a strong digital foundation but needed to address the obstacles preventing businesses from trading digitally at scale.
“Kenya has built a strong digital foundation, but the next phase is about making it easier for businesses to trade digitally, across borders and at scale,” Muli said.
The alliance intends to provide a common platform for businesses to raise these concerns with policymakers while also encouraging collaboration across the e-commerce value chain.
Timothy Were, Director of ICT and Trade at the State Department of Trade, said digital traders needed to have a stronger voice in discussions around regulations affecting their businesses.
He challenged the new alliance to scrutinise government policies, identify barriers facing businesses and help develop practical solutions that would allow Kenyan enterprises to compete more effectively in African markets.
The timing comes as Kenya and other African economies look to digital trade as a route to expanding exports and helping smaller businesses access markets beyond their immediate surroundings.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has also increased attention on regional trade, but the promise of a larger African market depends on more than removing tariffs or putting products online.
Businesses still need reliable logistics, interoperable payment systems, consumer protection, digital skills and clearer regulatory frameworks.
Jennifer Chiku, Digital Trade Manager at GIZ-Kenya, said the strength of e-commerce would ultimately depend on the ecosystem supporting businesses rather than online marketplaces alone.
She said African countries needed stronger umbrella associations capable of feeding the experiences of businesses into policymaking at both national and continental levels.
The alliance brings together a wide range of players whose interests do not always overlap, making its effectiveness likely to depend on whether it can translate those different concerns into specific policy changes.