Ruto names Cabinet Secretaries to lead Kenya-EU Economic Council Trade negotiations
President William Ruto has appointed five Cabinet Secretaries to serve as members of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council between Kenya, a member of the East African Community, and the European Union
President William Ruto has appointed five Cabinet Secretaries to serve as members of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council between Kenya, a member of the East African Community, and the European Union.
In a Gazette notice published on Friday, November 22, Ruto appointed the following individuals: Prime and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Trade Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Andrew Karanja, and Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. Salim Mvurya will chair the Council.
The establishment of the EPA Council aims to oversee and facilitate a strong relationship between Kenya and the EU to protect Kenya’s interests as safeguarded within the agreement.
Kenya and the European Union signed the EPA in May 2024 at the State House in Nairobi, with the ceremony attended by the EU delegation in Kenya, led by Ambassador Henriette Geiger.
During the ceremony, Ruto expressed his optimism about the agreement and highlighted its potential substantial benefits for the country.
Kenya is making strides in enhancing its trade, investment, and regulatory frameworks to attract European Union (EU) companies for increased business opportunities, stated Ruto at the May meeting.
This partnership aims to boost trade and create economic opportunities between Kenya and European countries, ultimately focusing on advancing Kenya’s economic development.
Under this agreement, all exports from Kenya will receive duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market (except for arms), while Kenya will also gradually open its market to imports from the EU.
The agreement includes binding commitments on trade and sustainable development, encompassing climate and environmental protection, as well as labor rights, along with a transparent dispute resolution mechanism.
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This makes it the most ambitious economic partnership agreement the EU has established with a developing country in terms of sustainability provisions.
As of 2022, the EU is Kenya’s largest export destination and second-largest trading partner, with trade totalling €3.3 billion (approximately Ksh445.1 billion at current exchange rates), marking a 27 per cent increase compared to 2018.
The Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Kenya aims to implement provisions outlined in the EU-East African Community (EAC) Economic Partnership Agreement, and it will also be open for other EAC countries to join in the future.
Negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the East African Community (EAC) and the European Union (EU) were completed in 2014. Kenya signed and ratified the agreement in September 2016, while the EU and its member states signed it in June 2016. However, the implementation of the EPA could not proceed because not all EAC partner countries signed and ratified the agreement.
During the EAC Summit on February 27, 2021, chaired by Kenya, a decision was made to allow individual EAC states to implement the EPA. As a result, in May 2021, Kenya formally requested to engage with the EU to initiate the implementation of the agreement on a bilateral basis.
Discussions on the bilateral implementation, which included provisions for sustainability, were politically concluded on June 19, 2023.
On September 28, 2023, the Commission submitted its proposals for council decisions on the signing and the conclusion of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement, together with the text of the agreement.
The Council adopted a decision on the signing of the EPA on December 12, 2023. Afterward, the EU and Kenya signed the agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, on December 18, 2023.
The European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement on February 29, 2024, and Kenya ratified the EPA on April 24, 2024. This culminated in the final signing in May 2024. The partnership officially took effect on July 1, 2024.
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