Kenyan businesses selling goods and services online now have a new industry body to turn to as the country looks to make digital trade easier and more competitive.
The Kenya E-Commerce Alliance (KECA) was launched in Nairobi during the Digital Trade Congress 2026, bringing together businesses and organisations involved in the fast-changing world of online commerce.
The alliance comes at a time when the internet has become another marketplace for Kenyan entrepreneurs, with businesses using websites, social media and digital platforms to find customers locally and in other countries.
But while setting up an online shop can take only a few clicks, running one across borders is a different story.
A business may have a customer ready to buy but still face problems with receiving payment, shipping the goods, understanding taxes, meeting regulatory requirements or dealing with a customer who wants a refund. These challenges can become even more complicated when a seller is trying to reach customers in another African country.
KECA wants to give businesses a stronger voice in dealing with some of these problems.
The alliance will bring together online sellers, marketplaces, payment companies, logistics firms, technology providers, professional service companies and government officials. It will also create a platform for businesses to exchange information and push for changes they believe could make digital trade easier.
Martin Muli, CEO of KECA, said the country had already built much of the digital infrastructure needed for online commerce, but businesses now needed an environment that allowed them to grow beyond the local market.
“Kenya has built a strong digital foundation, but the next phase is about making it easier for businesses to trade digitally, across borders and at scale,” Muli said.
The government is also looking to digital trade as part of efforts to increase exports and help Kenyan businesses find new markets across Africa.
Timothy Were, Director of ICT and Trade at the State Department of Trade, said the new alliance could help policymakers understand the problems businesses face on the ground and improve regulations affecting the industry.
The issue is particularly important for small and medium-sized businesses, which often have limited money and staff to deal with complicated procedures. A delayed payment, expensive delivery or unclear regulation can quickly turn a promising online sale into a headache.
Jennifer Chiku, Digital Trade Manager at GIZ-Kenya, said stronger cooperation between e-commerce associations would also be important in influencing digital trade policies across Africa.
The alliance is expected to take part in wider discussions around the African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to make it easier for African businesses to trade with one another.
For Kenya, the bigger opportunity is not simply getting more people to shop online. It is building an ecosystem where a business in Nairobi, Kisumu or Mombasa can sell to a customer in another African market without being buried under payment, delivery and regulatory problems.
KECA will now have the task of bringing the different players around the same table and pushing for practical changes as Kenya tries to turn its digital economy into a bigger engine for trade and business growth.
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