The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) launched its ambitious Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 on 30th May 2024, with a goal of achieving a 10 percent annual growth in exports. This initiative is in line with the fifth-generation strategic plan guidelines provided by the National Treasury’s State Department for Economic Planning. The plan is designed to drive Kenya towards becoming an export-led economy and enhancing its presence as a prominent global brand.
KEPROBA 2023/2024-2027/2028 Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan builds upon the 2019-2022 framework, concentrating on four main areas: developing and ensuring compliance of export products, expanding export markets, promoting nation branding, and enhancing corporate governance. These areas encompass production, marketing, and increasing the visibility of Kenya and its products in both regional and international markets. Significant strategies within the plan include initiatives for deepening and diversifying markets, facilitating value addition, and prioritizing value chains to establish Kenya as a provider of high-quality goods and services.
KEPROBA’s Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 also focuses on diversifying Kenya’s export offerings by introducing innovative products to the global market. A key component of this strategy is leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, which brings together all 55 African Union member states, encompassing a market of over 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of USD 3.4 trillion in 2022. According to KEPROBA’s Chairman Jas Bedi, AfCFTA presents a tremendous opportunity for Kenya’s trade sector given that up to 90% of goods will gradually have tariffs eliminated by 2030.
In 2023, Kenya experienced a notable improvement in export performance, with total exports exceeding Ksh. 1 trillion, rising from Ksh. 873.1 billion in 2022 to Ksh. 1.064 trillion. The trade deficit decreased slightly, from Ksh. 1,617.6 billion in 2022 to Ksh. 1,604.04 billion in 2023. Significant growth was observed in key markets like Uganda, Pakistan, and the Netherlands, which saw increased imports of Kenyan products such as tea, horticulture, and cement.
Speaking during the strategic plan launch, Floice Mukabana, the CEO of KEPROBA, reaffirmed the organization's dedication to carrying out the Strategic Plan and emphasized that it will serve as the foundation for performance contracts and yearly work plans. "This strategy will guarantee the expansion of exports and the enhancement of the nation's reputation," Mukabana stated.
The Plan is a review of the lapsed Strategic Plan 2019 to 2022. The four strategic issues that the Agency will focus on over the next five years are export product development and compliance (supply side issues), export market development (demand side issues), nation branding issues and corporate governance covering aspects of production, marketing and visibility of Kenya and Kenyan products in the regional and international markets.