Kenya is gearing up to use this year’s East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Expo in Nairobi as a platform to push for the speedy rollout of the East Africa Market Protocol, which has struggled to take off since it was signed more than a decade ago.
The country wants to use the regional event to rally member states to remove long-standing barriers to trade and strengthen economic integration across the region.
The 10-day trade fair begins today in Nairobi and will run until November 15, with President William Ruto set to officially open the event on Monday, November 10.
The gathering will also feature a ministerial roundtable between EAC leaders and representatives from the International Trade Centre (ITC), who will discuss how to enhance the role of MSMEs in regional and global trade.
This year’s expo takes place as the ITC officially launches its new regional office in Nairobi, which will serve as its continental hub for Africa. The move is a major boost to Kenya’s position as a trade gateway for Africa and a key player in promoting small businesses and export growth.
The government views the expo as an opportunity to push for a more unified East African market, free from the obstacles that continue to frustrate cross-border trade.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development, Wycliffe Oparanya, said the meeting in Nairobi will serve as a rallying call for partner states to accelerate the implementation of the East Africa Market Protocol, which seeks to allow free movement of goods, services, and entrepreneurs across borders.
“This will strengthen the EAC Common Market and align our regional trade framework with the broader goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), enabling cross-border trade, reducing market barriers and stimulating new opportunities for young entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises to scale their businesses beyond national borders,” Oparanya said.
The EAC Common Market Protocol was signed in 2009 and became operational in July 2010. It was designed to allow businesses to operate freely within the region and serve a combined market of more than 300 million consumers. But despite its promise, progress has been slow.
Most member states continue to treat their economies as separate entities, often protecting domestic industries at the expense of regional cooperation.
Protectionism and non-tariff barriers remain a major headache for traders. These include complicated customs procedures, import restrictions, inconsistent tax regimes, and a lack of harmonised standards across the region.
Businesses also face delays caused by multiple roadblocks, lengthy weighbridge checks, and slow immigration processes that drive up the cost of doing business.
Tensions between partner states have also slowed progress. In July this year, Tanzania banned foreigners from engaging in trade across 15 service sectors, including small-scale industries.
The move caused an uproar in the region, forcing bilateral talks with Kenya that eventually saw the restrictions eased. But even after the talks, the episode exposed how fragile regional trade relations remain.
Similar challenges have been seen between Kenya and Uganda, which in August agreed to remove all tariff and non-tariff barriers to improve cross-border trade.
However, many of those barriers persist, with traders still facing delays and restrictions at entry points.
Kenya has reiterated its commitment to fostering regional integration under the EAC Treaty and the EAC Common Market Protocol.
The country believes that an open, connected market will create opportunities for millions of small businesses and entrepreneurs. The government hopes that discussions at the Nairobi expo will produce renewed political will from all member states to fully implement the Protocol and make it easier for goods, services, and capital to move across borders.
MSMEs at the Heart of the Agenda
The MSME sector is central to Kenya’s economy, accounting for more than 70 per cent of total employment. For this reason, the country sees the success of small enterprises as vital to tackling unemployment and boosting productivity.
This year’s EAC MSME Trade Fair, now in its 25th edition, is expected to bring together more than 3,000 exhibitors from all eight EAC member states—Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. The exhibitors will showcase the region’s diversity, talent, and creativity through products and innovations.
CS Oparanya said the trade fair has grown into a major regional marketplace for innovation and enterprise.
“The MSME Trade Fair has evolved into the region’s largest and most influential marketplace for innovators, artisans and entrepreneurs, driving integration, enterprise and shared prosperity across the eight partner states of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and now Somalia,” he said.
Kenya’s renewed push for stronger regional integration comes as its exports to the African continent have declined slightly. According to the Economic Survey 2025, Kenya’s exports to Africa dropped by 2.1 per cent—from Ksh 435 billion in 2023 to Ksh 425.6 billion in 2024.
Exports to EAC countries stood at Ksh 321.4 billion during the same period. The report attributes the decline to reduced export revenues from Somalia, Egypt, Tanzania, and South Sudan.
“The decline was largely on account of decreased export revenues from Somalia, Egypt, Tanzania, and South Sudan. Specifically, there was a decline in domestic exports of tomato sauces and re-exports of unassembled tractors to Tanzania,” the survey states.
The government sees the decline as a warning sign and a call to action to strengthen regional markets. With the AfCFTA already in motion, Kenya believes that East Africa must accelerate its own integration to remain competitive.
As regional leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs gather in Nairobi for the 25th EAC MSME Expo, the focus will be on turning commitments into concrete action that will make the dream of a borderless East African market a reality.
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