Addis Ababa, February 7, 2020 (FBC) – Kenya and the United States have started negotiations that are expected to lead to a trade agreement between the two countries.
President Uhuru Kenyatta met President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday where they agreed to initiate the talks.
Trade between Kenya and US amounts to roughly $1bn (£772m) annually.
President Kenyatta said a new trade deal would not undermine the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) – an African Union-led initiative to remove barriers to trade, like tariffs and import quotas, allowing the free flow of goods and services between its members.
Kenyan economist Aly-Khan Satchu told the BBC’s Newsday programme that “the other African countries are going to be unhappy that Kenya has broken cover and is negotiating bilaterally… He’s [President Kenyatta] got to allay the concerns of his peers in the rest of Africa.”