KNCCI opens office in Dubai to curb export losses

Left to right: Avocado Society Of Kenya CEO Muthomi Ernest, KNCCI CEO KK Mutai, KNCCI Dubai Chairman Salat Ali and KNCCI President Erick Rutto during the launch of KNCCI Dubai office, on January 15, 2026. [Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard]

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) has opened a trade protection office in Dubai, marking a shift from promotion-driven export policy to enforcement-driven market access. The office is expected to support exporters in the livestock and meat sector, to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the broader Gulf region.

Speaking during the launching of the office, KNCCI President Erick Rutto said for far too long, Kenya has focused on getting products into markets, and not enough on protecting exporters once they arrive. This has resulted to annual losses due to unpaid exports by unscrupulous buyers in the UAE.

“The livestock sector alone suffers Sh6 billion in losses annually. Exporting should be profitable, not a gamble,” Dr Rutto said.

 However, the new Dubai office will seek to mitigate the risks associated with exporting goods to the UAE through several measures such as offering buyer verification and approval services, assistance with legal documentation under UAE law via local Emirati lawyers, and secure payment options. A traceability and transparency software system will also provide end-to-end tracking, compliance support and product integrity guarantees. 

"We will no longer allow Kenyan exporters to be exploited," stated Rutto.

"The documented losses, including 156 containers of fresh produce lost every year to rogue importers are unacceptable and unsustainable. This Dubai office represents our commitment to turn the tide by providing real-time intelligence and a rapid response mechanism to engage UAE authorities directly when disputes arise, " he noted.

The chamber president said Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya has previously documented that on average, three containers of fresh produce are lost every week with no compensation to exporters.

Also, rogue importers posing as legitimate buyers, receive the goods, then vanish or fabricate quality complaints

“They send credit notes that are never honored, and some operate without verifiable business premises,”  Rutto revealed.

He notes that the situation in the livestock export sector is more alarming as about 30 per cent of livestock exports to the UAE and Saudi Arabia remain unpaid.

“This translates to a staggering Sh6 billion in annual losses to Kenyan exporters. In addition to payment defaults, we lose Sh4,000 per goat due to lower market prices from inadequate disease control measures,” Rutto said.

  Salat Ali, chairperson of the KNCCI Dubai Office that the office will serve as a "one-stop shop" for Kenyan exporters to access verified buyer networks and legal advocacy, ensuring that the "export dream" does not become a financial nightmare.

Further, he urged exporters to use the right path, to avoid losing a lot of business losses.

He revealed that 85 per cent of people who trade in Dubai are foreigners, and that Kenyans are the ones who are mostly scammed, because they ship meat without receiving their money.

“Our meat is sold less than the one of Pakistan, yet our meat is the one of the highest quality. This is the challenge that we have been facing,”  Ali noted.

UAE has been a primary destination for Kenyan meat exports, though Kenya supplies only about 14 per cent of the region's demand for meat products, signaling untapped potential.

The UAE is currently Kenya’s 5th largest export destination, with trade volumes reaching $401.5 million (Sh51.7 billion) in 2023. However, this growth has been overshadowed by significant losses.