Kenya, US to hold talks on strategic trade and investment partnership in Feb

Capital News | 6th February 2023

By Bruhan Makong

The United States and Kenya will hold an in-person round of conceptual discussions under their Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) in Washington, DC, from February 6-10, 2023.

According to a statement from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the US delegation will be led by Assistant United States Trade Representative Connie Hamilton, and will include representatives from several other government agencies.

In July last year, the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and then-Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina launched the U.S.-Kenya STIP and announced that both governments would pursue enhanced engagement leading to high-standard commitments in a wide range of areas.

The goal of the Partnership is to increase investment, promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth, benefit workers, consumers, and businesses (including micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises) and support African regional economic integration.

The joint statement identified a set of initial issues on which the US and Kenya share the goal of negotiating high-standard commitments in order to achieve economically meaningful outcomes.

On August 5, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published in the Federal Register a request for public comment on objectives for those areas of initial focus including agriculture, anti-corruption, digital trade, environment and climate action, and good regulatory practices.

Other areas include; micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, protecting workers’ rights and protections, supporting the participation of women, youth, and others in the trade, standards collaboration, trade facilitation and customs procedures, and services domestic regulation.

Ambassador Tai led the Presidential delegation to Kenyan President William Ruto’s September 13, 2022 inauguration.

In a November 3, 2022, virtual meeting with Ambassador Tai and a December 12, 2022, in-person meeting, Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria confirmed the Kenyan government’s strong interest in continuing to pursue the STIP initiative.