Kenya-UK trade hits Sh340 billion for the first time
UK is one of the largest foreign investors in Kenya, and British companies are among the country’s biggest taxpayers. The British High Commission in Nairobi estimates that 150 British enterprises operate in Kenya, directly employing over 250,000 Kenyans.
Kenya’s trade with the United Kingdom has hit a record Sh340 billion (£2 billion) for the first time, boosted by rising exports of goods and services on both sides, according to the UK Department for Business and Trade.
The growth, recorded in the year ending September 2025, marks an 11.9 per cent increase compared to 2024, with Kenya’s exports rising faster than imports from the UK.
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During the period, Kenya exported goods worth Sh63 billion (£371 million) and services valued at Sh71.5 billion (£421 million) to the UK.
Among goods, animal and vegetable products saw the fastest growth, rising 15.6 per cent to Sh28.7 billion (£169.2 million), followed by beverages, including coffee and tea, which increased by 12.8 per cent to Sh24.3 billion (£143.3 million).
UK exports to Kenya during the same period amounted to Sh134.6 billion (£792 million), up from Sh124 billion (£733 million) in 2024. Mechanical power generators recorded the highest growth at 18.3 per cent, followed by refined oil and cars, which rose by 12 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
“The UK and Kenya are turbocharging trade. Our renewed Strategic Partnership is already delivering progress in a matter of months. To turn ambitions into reality, we’re working together to break down trade barriers. We go far when we go together,” Chargé d’Affaires at the British High Commission in Nairobi, Ed Barnett, said.
He added that the renewed partnership, agreed for a second time in July this year, focuses on a shared goal of driving economic growth and doubling trade volumes by 2030.
Trade Principal Secretary Regina Ombam said the statistics highlight a strong and growing economic partnership between Kenya and the UK, which has facilitated increased trade flows. She emphasised that sustained collaboration would expand trade opportunities, diversify exports, and strengthen economic resilience.
“We are propelling our export growth, targeting to increase the product range and market destination diversity, and the data we have seen is a testament to our collective efforts,” Ombam said.
She added that Kenya has a significant opportunity to broaden its export markets by deepening access to existing destinations and expanding the range of value-added products.
“We will also support this process by promoting and facilitating branding and export promotion of goods and services made in Kenya to access export markets,” she said.
The United Kingdom is one of the largest foreign investors in Kenya, and British companies are among the country’s biggest taxpayers. The British High Commission in Nairobi estimates that 150 British enterprises operate in Kenya, directly employing over 250,000 Kenyans.
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