ASNET Engages PS for Trade on Key Agri-Trade Reforms

ASNET on Friday, May 16, 2025 held a high-level courtesy call with Ms. Regina Ombam, the Principal Secretary, State Department for Trade, to discuss urgent trade-related challenges facing agri-food value chains and explore opportunities for stronger public-private collaboration.
During the meeting, ASNET presented a comprehensive brief outlining key concerns affecting its members. These included high export documentation costs and delays, delays in addressing Sudan’s tea import ban, high tariffs in markets like India and China, and regulatory barriers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Other critical issues included lack of certified cold chain facilities, poor road infrastructure especially Moi South Lake Road in Naivasha, uncoordinated taxation and market levies across counties, VAT and duties on essential farm inputs, and weak implementation of Kenya’s AfCFTA strategy.
In response, PS Ombam emphasized the ministry’s commitment to facilitating trade and announced plans to convene an inter-ministerial consultative meeting with the PSs of Agriculture and Livestock to address cross-cutting challenges. She also promised to organize a consultative breakfast meeting with the private sector to provide feedback on the issues raised. The PS committed to initiating public participation forums on the Cess issue and supported institutionalizing regular Public-Private Dialogues (PPDs), co-hosting the National Agriculture Summit with ASNET, and leveraging ASNET’s Monthly Forum to share updates with members, including on the recently signed UAE Trade Agreement.
The ASNET delegation included Board Chair Dr. Bimal Kantaria, Dr. Wilson Songa, Johnstone Mulary (KFC), Yael (One Acre Fund), Njaramba Gathenya, Agatha Thuo, and senior officials from the State Department for Trade.
This engagement marks a critical step toward strengthening collaboration between the government and private sector in addressing barriers to agricultural trade and unlocking Kenya’s competitiveness in regional and global markets.