Kenya pushes EU to ease tough regulations amid export slump
Business
By
Graham Kajilwa
| Oct 07, 2025
Kenya is pushing for a review of the European Union’s tough regulations on its horticultural exports, which officials say are hurting trade and prompting the country to explore alternative markets.
The EU’s stricter limits on pesticide residues in crops have made it harder for Kenyan produce to access the bloc, driving the country to seek alternative destination markets such as Kazakhstan, China, and Middle Eastern.
Speaking at the COMESA-EU Horticulture Connect, a side event during the 24th COMESA Summit of Heads of State in Nairobi, Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that while Kenya enjoys strong trade ties with the EU, the unpredictable standards for fresh produce continue to place the country at a disadvantage.
“We seek indulgence with the EU so as to create a predictable way of operating. We have too many changing goal posts. Each six or seven months, we change to something else. I would like to appeal that we remain steady in terms of the requirements of the EU,” he said.
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Kagwe said the government has been working on strengthening compliance systems even as it seeks new markets outside the EU. One of the ways compliance is being strengthened is through the introduction of the National Horticultural Traceability System.
Others include cold chain logistic partnership with Netherlands, a major market for Kenya’s flowers as well as promoting good agricultural practices especially on avocado value chain.
But amid these regulatory changes, Kagwe said there is need for countries under Comesa to trade among themselves as one of the ways to reduce dependency on the overseas markets.
“If it is possible to please somebody in the EU with a bunch of flowers, it should be possible to please somebody within the Comesa region,” he said.
He said improving trade within the region would reduce transactional costs, post-harvest losses and further enhance competitiveness.
“We are discussing the issue of trade and horticulture with the EU but sometimes we forget the potential of trade within the Comesa itself,” he said.
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) report for 2024 shows that the export value of vegetables experienced a significant decline, dropping by nearly 50 per cent, from Sh50.9 billion in 2023 to Sh23.5 billion in 2024.
“This sharp reduction is primarily attributed to increased Maximum Residue Level (MRL) interceptions and official notifications issued by the European Union (EU) concerning Kenya’s French beans and snow peas (pods),” the authority noted.
It explained that in 2024, the number of MRL-related interceptions rose to 57, up from 25 in 2023, indicating a heightened level of non-compliance with EU pesticide residue standards.
“In response, the EU tightened border inspection requirements for Kenyan vegetables, increasing the inspection frequency from five per cent to 15 per cent at designated EU entry points. These enhanced regulatory controls have had a direct impact on market access, shipping timelines, and the cost of compliance, ultimately contributing to the substantial reduction in export earnings from the vegetable subsector,” the authority said.
Comesa’s Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe said in the horticultural sector, exports to the EU amount to Sh429 billion ($3.3 billion) annually with Netherlands alone accounting for 28 per cent.
“Horticultural value chain alone contributes over Sh438.1 billion annually in exports to the EU, employing millions of small holder farmers across the region,” she said.
The Comesa-EU Horticulture Connect purposed to connect businesses from the region to the EU market.
“Opportunities are vast in the production, value chain, regional trade and access to the lucrative European Union market but success requires investments and partnerships,” said Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui.