The inaugural meeting of the UK-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council took place in London on 21 March 2023. The meeting was co-chaired by Kenyan Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Trade, Investments and Industry, Hon. Moses Kuria and UK Minister for International Trade, Nigel Huddleston. 

The parties reflected on the strong and cordial diplomatic relations between the UK and Kenya and discussed the aim for the agreement to evolve into one with the East African Community (EAC).

The parties each provided trade policy updates. The UK noted its new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which will benefit Kenya and the other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the region, as well as ongoing preparations for the next African Investment Summit.

The ministers formally adopted and signed the rules of procedure for the EPA Council and the Dispute Settlement Procedures and Code of Conduct for Arbitrators, which will support the long-term governance of the EPA’s key institutions.

In line with the agreement’s twin trade and development objectives, the UK presented on the range of its development co-operation activities in Kenya. The UK particularly highlighted the work on infrastructure, agriculture, trade facilitation and co-operation on financial service, supported through programmes like the Growth Gateway, British International Investment (BII), TradeMark Africa (TMA) and Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSDK). Both parties expressed the importance of inclusive growth to ensure that all communities and geographies equally benefit from increased trade and investment.

The UK and Kenya reaffirmed the importance of using the EPA framework to raise and resolve emerging issues facing traders, and discussed issues related to import measures and EPA tariffs. The UK clarified its sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures being applied to Kenyan beans exports and agreed to revert on how Kenya can input into its sampling regime at the border. The parties also discussed Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariffs and additional customs processes being applied to some Kenyan products arriving by truck from the EU and agreed to engage further on the matter. 

As a regional agreement, the parties reaffirmed their shared ambition for other members of the EAC to accede to the EPA and agreed on the importance of future engagement with the partner states to promote understanding of the EPA. The UK and Kenya also restated their commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), exemplified by Kenya’s leading role in its implementation, and the UK being the first non-African country to sign an memorandum of understanding (MoU) of co-operation with the AfCFTA secretariat.

The parties agreed to hold the next meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials on a mutually agreed date.