New plan to help Kenyan MSMEs meet international export standards

 

The Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has launched a new initiative aimed at enhancing regional trade and improving the export competitiveness of high-potential products.

This program seeks to address existing supply gaps in global markets and help local businesses tap into higher price segments.

The initiative will include boosting the readiness and organisation among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to meet strict international quality and quantity standards.

The Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Wycliffe Oparanya said that through the plan, Kenyan will be able to secure necessary product certifications for easier entry into foreign markets.

“Central to this program will be improving MSME awareness and transparency related to digital markets and trade to sustain e-commerce, sanitary, and phytosanitary measures, as well as on technical trade barriers to enable them to gain product certification that will ease their efforts to enter foreign markets,” Oparanya said.

The cabinet secretary was speaking during the launch of the national organizing committee for the 24th East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Trade Fair.

The committee will be in charge of vetting over 300 Kenyan MSMEs that will showcase in the fair slated for October 26 to November 5, 2024, in Juba, South Sudan.

This year’s trade fair will provide a platform for Kenyan businesses to showcase products, build partnerships, and explore new market opportunities alongside their East African counterparts. Despite earlier concerns regarding South Sudan's preparedness to host the event, officials have confirmed their readiness.

Oparanya encouraged Kenyan MSMEs to leverage this opportunity to enhance trade and investment within the region. He highlighted that the trade fair represents a strategic moment for expanding market access, especially in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, and manufacturing.

“This year’s trade fair offers exceptional commercial prospects for exploring new market frontiers and showcasing regional brands,” Oparanya noted.

Kenya plans to send over 300 MSMEs to the trade fair, focusing on presenting high-quality, export-ready products.

The Ministry of MSMEs has stated that the event will not only promote Kenyan goods and services but also provide opportunities for MSMEs to establish business links across East Africa.

According to Micro and Small Enterprises Authority chair James Mureu, the trade fair aligns with Kenya’s broader economic objectives, including partnerships with the European Union and the United States aimed at boosting trade and investment.

This year's theme, He added that the EAC economy is a stepping stone to a greater vision of more trade for MSEs within the AFCFTA.

The National Organizing Committee will critically review MSE product offerings to ensure they are 100 per cent Kenyan made and meet international market requirements.

The Principal Secretary Susan Mang'eni said that the expansion of the East African Community with the recent entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC Congo) and Somalia has opened up the market to a population of 320 million people, which is a great opportunity for the MSMEs to get export products and services to the regional market and also to the global value chains.

Mureu added that the Authority is prioritizing access to markets as a critical pre-requisite for encouraging entrepreneurship, enterprise development, long-term economic growth, job creation, and productive investment.

MSEA CEO Henry Rithaa noted that the Authority will be marketing all the products available from the Kenyan MSEs at the trade fair on the MSEA's marketing portal to realize the technology-enabled economy and utilise the 1.3 Billion Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market.

The Authority is working with sector players in the committee to develop an integrated program to establish forward linkages for participating MSEs and track the volume of business achieved post the trade fair.

MSEA is spearheading Kenya's participation and will facilitate over 400 MSEs to the trade fair.

by JACKTONE LAWI