Kenya and the United States wrapped up initial consultations to establish a Reciprocal Trade Framework, with intellectual property rights and tariffs dominating discussions.
The three-day meeting in Washington, D.C. targets enhancing bilateral trade, investment, and commercial cooperation while confronting new challenges in vital sectors.
These negotiations occur as the Kenya-U.S. health agreement faces examination regarding the disclosure of HIV/AIDS status information, TB treatment history, mental health records, and vaccination data.
Busia senator Okiya Omtatah contended that the agreement lacked public participation and was signed without the necessary Parliamentary approval mandated by the Treaty Making and Ratification Act.
Furthermore, he asserted that the pact compromises national sovereignty and establishes a separate, off-budget governance structure functioning beyond established Kenyan systems such as the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
In response, President William Ruto consistently emphasized that the agreement underwent thorough examination by the Attorney General’s office.
He refuted assertions that the government intends to sell health data, clarifying that only de-identified, aggregated data (totals and trends) will be exchanged.
To address these concerns, Principal Secretary for Trade Regina Ombam led the Kenyan delegation to Washington, while the U.S. team was spearheaded by Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa Osvaldo Gómez-Martínez.
The talks encompassed a wide range of priorities, including trade in goods, services, digital commerce, and agricultural products.
The delegations also examined tariffs and non-tariff barriers, seeking to reduce trade expenses and develop a more predictable framework for exporters.
Simultaneously, dialogues about intellectual property protections underscored the importance of securing innovations.
In a statement, the Trade Cabinet Secretary reported that bilateral trade in goods and services between the two nations reached approximately Ksh 425 billion (USD 3.3 billion) in 2024, reflecting an 18 percent increase from the prior year.
Kenyan exports, comprising coffee, tea, macadamia nuts, cut flowers, and apparel, totaled Ksh 95 billion (USD 737.1 million), while U.S. exports to Kenya climbed to Ksh 99 billion (USD 771.3 million).
Both parties emphasized that resolving tariffs and Intellectual Property (IP) matters would be essential for maintaining growth and ensuring a balanced trading environment.
These discussions follow the implementation of a new 10% global tariff by U.S. President Donald Trump on nearly all imports to the United States.
This resulted in all shipments facing a 10% universal surcharge upon arrival in the U.S. market.