Merged agency races to grow exports, boost Kenya's image

Mombasa Port. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By JAMES KARIUKI
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Summary

• Kenya has unveiled a new agency to promote its brand and push for its exports across the world.
• The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (Keproba) resulting from the recent merger of Kenya Export Council (EPC) and Brand Kenya, is a convergent point for public and private sector organisations.
• The Cabinet approved the merger of the two agencies in October last year as part of the national exports development strategy.

Kenya has unveiled a new agency to promote its brand and push for its exports across the world.

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (Keproba) resulting from the recent merger of Kenya Export Council (EPC) and Brand Kenya, is a convergent point for public and private sector organisations.

The Cabinet approved the merger of the two agencies in October last year as part of the national exports development strategy.

Prior to that, EPC concentrated in growing export markets while Brand Kenya worked to improved the country's image abroad.

Keproba chief executive Peter Biwott said the agency’s main task will be to help Kenyan companies and self-help groups to identify foreign markets as well as ensuring local products meet set international standards.

Mr Biwott said he was up to his new job.

“Keproba will formulate and implement strategies for improved balance of trade, foreign exchange earnings and retention among others,” he said in a statement issued on Friday.

The agency seeks to address a myriad of challenges that derail Kenya’s bid to export various products, among them poor adherence to standards and absence of a networking platform linking Kenyan businesses to top foreign- based same-product businesses.

In 2018, Kenya’s trade deficit widened by a marginal 1.2 percent to Sh1.145 trillion in the 12 months to December 2018 from Sh1.13 trillion a year earlier.

According to the Central Bank of Kenya’s latest year-to-year report, total imports increased 1.88 percent to nearly Sh1.76 trillion, a slower pace than exports which rose 3.16 percent to stand at Sh612.88 billion.

That means for every Sh100 that Kenya spent on buying goods from abroad, it only earned Sh35 from exports.

Such a trade deficit, warns economists, slows down the creation of new jobs for the youth as most earnings within Kenya are spent on buying goods from foreign factories.

Mr Jas Bedi who was appointed as Keproba’s chairman with its other members being Ms Kathleen Kihanya, Ms Jaqueline Muga and Mr Mark Bichachi.

The establishment of agency is in line with an integrated national exports development and promotion strategy (NEDPS) which the government launched mid last year in effort to grow Kenya’s output at an average rate of 25 percent per year.