Kenya and India took a significant step toward strengthening trade ties after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the exchange of pre-arrival information for goods.
The agreement was signed between India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and the Kenya Revenue Authority on the sidelines of the 10th India–Kenya Joint Trade Committee meeting held in Nairobi.
The MoU was signed by Yogendra Garg, Member of CBIC, and KRA Commissioner General Dr Lilian Nyawanda, in the presence of India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Trade Regina Akoth Ombam.
Officials said the agreement is expected to enhance customs cooperation between the two countries by enabling faster cargo clearance, improving risk management, and facilitating smoother cross-border trade flows.
The signing coincided with the opening of the 10th session of the India–Kenya Joint Trade Committee, co-chaired by Agrawal and Ombam.
During the meeting, both delegations held wide-ranging discussions aimed at deepening bilateral economic engagement. Key areas of focus included improving market access, addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and boosting collaboration in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, digital public infrastructure, fintech, energy—including renewable energy—and manufacturing.
The two sides also reviewed progress in development partnerships, with particular emphasis on logistics, infrastructure planning, and capacity building initiatives.
At the conclusion of the session, India and Kenya reaffirmed their commitment to building a more diversified, balanced, and forward-looking economic partnership.
They agreed to strengthen institutional mechanisms to ease trade, resolve outstanding issues, and promote greater business-to-business engagement between the two countries.
