The importance of the export sector as the engine of economic growth cannot be over emphasized. Policies and strategies to enhance export expansion in Kenya revolve around the need to maximise export earnings through diversification of exports and destinations. In this respect, the Council addresses itself to the issues pertaining to the increase of Kenyan exports (both traditional and non-traditional), quality, value adding, timeliness in delivery, improved packaging, competitiveness in prices, providing more incentives and expansion into the traditional markets and opening up of new markets.

Since its inception, the Council has effectively helped to focus the National export drive, identified major constraints facing producers of goods and services and made appropriate recommendations on how to overcome these obstacles. There is in the country today, more confidence by the private sector in the economy and a more conducive environment to production and exportation of goods and services resultant upon the recent Government liberalization measures in foreign exchange and trade regimes. The Council is pleased to be associated with the improvement of this enabling environment for exports and investment.

There are signs that Kenya is on the right track in export development. Deregulation and import liberalization measures have reduced the previously anti-export bias. Another significant factor has been the increased market access following the recent opening up of the previously closed markets in East Africa and the availability of markets in Eastern and Southern Africa under the Preferential Trade Area (PTA) Agreement which has been transformed to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) with a population of approximately 300 million. Exports from Kenya also enjoy preferential access to world markets under two other special access in duty reductions namely ACP/Lome Convention and Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).

Isolating the effect of other factors that suppress the growth of the economy, performance of the export sector has indeed been very impressive since 1992. The future looks bright. Non-traditional products such as horticulture and manufactured products have performed well. Manufactured products continue to regain their place in East Africa and therefore the manufacturing sub-sector presents excellent opportunities for export growth in the 1990s and beyond. In 1994, traditional exports in the service sector including tourism performed well and the trend is expected to continue. For instance, the value of recorded exports doubled from Kshs49.1 billion in 1992 to Kshs 98.0 billion in 1993, which in turn rose by 16% to Kshs. 113.3 billion in 1994. Similar growth in the export sector is anticipated during the current Development Plan Period (1994-96).

The Council is in the process of preparing a master plan on export development intensifying exploration of international, regional and sub-regional markets through market surveys, trade missions and exhibitions/ fairs, compiling a comprehensive export directory and establishing a national, regional and international trade information center.

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