NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 25, 2025. — Kenya’s private sector is pressing the United States to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for another 16 years, or at least allow a two-year transition to secure a bilateral trade deal, warning that livelihoods on both sides of the Atlantic depend on it.
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is spearheading the push during high-level engagements in New York at the 80th United Nations General Assembly. On Sept. 22, KEPSA co-hosts the Kenya–U.S. Investment Forum alongside the Corporate Council on Africa, Kenya Investment Authority, and the Government of Kenya, advancing trade and investment priorities.
Carole Kariuki, KEPSA’s chief executive officer, told the forum that AGOA is “the single most effective U.S. policy tool in Africa over the last 25 years,” pointing to its role in building industries, creating jobs, and transforming lives. She notes that in 2024, Kenya exports $470 million worth of apparel to the U.S., sustaining 66,800 direct jobs—three-quarters of them held by women—and nearly 800,000 livelihoods overall.
For the U.S., Kariuki highlights that AGOA saves consumers $200–250 million annually on products such as jeans and uniforms, while also diversifying supply chains away from China, strengthening Sub-Saharan Africa’s stability, and supporting American jobs in logistics and retail.
KEPSA’s delegation included Chair Jas Bedi, Vice Chair Brenda Mbathi, and senior executives from Safaricom and KCB Bank. A panel moderated by Paul C. Ansah of the Albright Stonebridge Group features Bedi, KCB Group CEO Paul Russo, ABSA’s U.S. chief representative Garth Klintworth, USDFC Senior Vice President Mateo Goldman, and ARISE IIP CEO George Olaka.
Back home, KEPSA continues advocacy through Parliament, where Hon. Jane Kagiri tables a motion for AGOA’s renewal. President William Ruto is also lobbying in the U.S., raising the issue with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and emphasizing Kenya’s readiness for expanded business partnerships.
Ruto points to Kenya’s low inflation, stable exchange rates, reliable connectivity, and green energy sector—where 90 percent of electricity already comes from renewables—as evidence of strong fundamentals. He underscores opportunities in technology, where Kenya’s “Silicon Savannah” attracts over $300 million in investment, and in manufacturing and agro-processing, which are shifting from raw exports to value-added goods.
As Africa’s sixth-largest economy and a gateway to the $3.5 trillion African Continental Free Trade Area, Kenya positions itself as a hub for trade, finance, and innovation. KEPSA pledges to keep engaging government and development partners to strengthen the business environment and deepen U.S.–Kenya ties beyond AGOA.