County Introduces Nairobi Trade Facilitation Scheme

The Nairobi City County Government, in partnership with the State Department for Trade, officially launched a new Trade Facilitation Scheme aimed at simplifying regulatory processes, improving market access, and cutting costs for traders and small-businesses in Nairobi. The programme includes streamlined licensing procedures, improved market infrastructure, and targeted support for informal sector operators looking to expand. The goal is to strengthen Nairobi’s role as a regional trade hub and help local enterprises scale.Under the scheme, the county has committed to reducing bureaucratic delays by merging market-licensing, weigh-bridge inspection, and trading permit services into a single portal. There is also a plan to launch dedicated trade-service desks in major markets and support hub zones where small exporters can access logistics and clearance assistance. Additionally, county officials have pledged to roll out 20 newly modernised markets and enhance infrastructure to reduce load-times and costs for traders.Reaction among Nairobi’s business community has been broadly positive. Traders at major markets noted relief at the promise of fewer permit queues and clearer rules for informal sector participants. Business-association leaders welcomed the move as a key step toward improved competitiveness and become better integrated into regional trade. At the same time, analysts caution that success will depend on sufficiently funding the new infrastructure and fully implementing the digital systems that underpin the scheme.
Looking ahead, the county expects the Trade Facilitation Scheme to attract new investors, boost exports of locally-made goods and create thousands of jobs in Nairobi’s trading and logistics sectors. Further phases are expected to include export-readiness programmes for micro-exporters, training in cross-border compliance and integration with the national single-window trade platform. If the implementation stays on track, the scheme could transform Nairobi’s informal trading clusters into formalised, high-value supply chains.