Kenya to Safeguard EU Market Access as EACJ Suspends EPA Implementation

The Government has reassured exporters and investors that Kenyan goods will continue to access the EU market and that measures are already underway to ensure stability and business continuity.

Despite the ruling by East African Court of Justice (EACJ) that temporarily suspended implementation of the Kenya–EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry is taking formal steps to challenge the decision through the appropriate appellate mechanisms and is engaging EAC Partner States to address procedural issues surrounding Article 37 of the EAC Protocol, which governs notification of trade agreements.

In a press statement released on Tuesday the Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui described the EU market as the lifeline of Kenya’s booming exports and its largest export destination.

According to CS Kinyanjui, Kenya alone Kenya exported goods worth USD 1.56 billion to the EU in 2024 and imported goods valued at USD 2.09 billion.

He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to protecting Kenya’s trade and industrialization interests, emphasizing that predictability and open markets remain central to national economic priorities under Vision 2030 and the BETA agenda.

As preparations intensify for the upcoming EAC Summit, Kenya has signaled that broader regional integration matters, including flexible trade arrangements under the long-standing principle of variable geometry, will be addressed at the highest level.