Kenya’s total regional exports drop to Sh119 billion
Mombasa tuktuk operators: Kenya mainly imports textiles, pharmaceuticals, industrial machinery, vehicles, electronic, motorcycles, tuk tuks and semi-processed goods from India. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
Data from Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows the country’s exports shrunk to Sh119.2 billion in the year to October compared to Sh130.5 billion in a similar period last year.
Kenya’s trade with the East African Community (EAC) declined by more than Sh11 billion in 2016 marking the third year in a row.
Data from Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows the country’s exports shrunk to Sh119.2 billion in the year to October compared to Sh130.5 billion in a similar period last year.
Purchases from the EAC also dropped to Sh31.5 billion from Sh44.5 billion.
Uganda, which has traditionally been the highest consumer of Kenyan goods recorded the largest decline of Sh10.2 billion, wiping out the rebound witnessed last year. Unstable South Sudan recorded a drop of Sh1.8 billion after several Kenyan companies moved out or scaled back operations.
Other neighbouring countries that absorbed less of Kenyan products include Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan as the Kenya shilling remained relatively stable. Tanzanian and Somalia purchased more from Kenya.
Kenyan manufacturers have reported a tough year attributing it to rising demand in the region for cheaper imports from China. China is also the largest seller in Kenya with the country importing goods worth Sh317.4 billion from Beijing in the ten months to October, which was a drop from last year’s Sh330 billion.
India remained the second largest seller with goods worth Sh215.4 billion sold, which was also a drop from Sh262 billion in 2015.
Kenya mainly imports textiles, pharmaceuticals, industrial machinery, vehicles, electronic, motorcycles, tuk tuks and semi-processed goods from India.
