Kenya re-thinks exportation at the National Exporters Forum

Last Updated 13 years ago by Kenya Engineer

By Daisy Gakuu

The Annual National Exporters Forum for 2013 was held today at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi. This year’s edition under the theme, ‘Growing Kenya’s economy through increased exports anchored on efficient trade facilitation, market access and logistics’, was graced by the President, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, Cabinet Secretary, Phyllis Kandie among other cabinet secretaries, Directors of the Export Promotion Council (EPC), the Chief Executive of EPC, Ruth Mwaniki, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Kenya Airways, Titus Naikuni , amid other distinguished Industry leaders.

The forum’s goal was to create a platform for stakeholders in the export sector to exchange ideas, perspectives, and challenges and give recommendations for improved performance of the exports.  Speaking at the conference, Ruth Mwaniki presented initiatives that the Council hopes the government will support. “We propose a two-pronged approach, one: develop an export recovery strategy in collaboration with stakeholders in two months-times, with clear deliverable timelines and budgetary requirements for your Government’s attention,” she said addressing the President. “Two, establish a structured round-table stakeholders’ forum under your leadership, to continuously address the challenges hindering growth in exports,” she added.

Ruth further pointed out actions the EPC was taking to link academia with the industry, developing an MOU to partner with the Department of Engineering in the University of Nairobi to instill entrepreneurship culture to student engineers. “If lawyers spearheaded governance in Kenya, then it is our engineers’ turn to drive industrialization and eventually commerce,” she stated.

The President, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta highlighted challenges affecting the export sector as: narrow  and inadequate export supply base, logistical constraints and non-tariff barriers, inadequate financial support for export development and promotion, over reliance on traditional markets, inadequate transport  linkages to key regional markets, absence of distribution support infrastructure like warehouses in key regional and emerging market and lack of international exhibition facilities in the country.

However, he gave measures the government was taking to address those setbacks:
i.    Exploration of alternative sources of energy such as solar, geothermal and wind.
ii.    Fast-tracking the modernization and expansion of railway infrastructure in the country commencing with the Mombasa-Kisumu railway line.
iii.    Fast-tracking the implementation of LAPSSET Project which will open up  the markets of South Sudan and Ethiopia: the Lokichoggio Nadapa Road and the Isiolo-Moyale Road respectively.
iv.    Establishing international distribution infrastructure including warehouses and business information centers in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi- DRC; and in Juba- the Republic of South Sudan.
v.    Engaging with the regional trading partners to minimize the barriers that exporters face in their markets.
vi.    Boosting Science and technology and innovation in the sector by increasing investment in research and development.
vii.    Developing a framework to nurture and commercialize inventions, innovations and end-products at the national and county levels.
viii.    Strengthening SMEs to become the key industries of tomorrow by improving their productivity and innovation.
ix.    Developing industrial and manufacturing zones and SME Parks.