President William Ruto has appointed Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council between Kenya and the European Union (EU).
This decision was announced in a gazette notice dated November 22, 2024.
Mudavadi will serve as a member of the Council, which oversees the implementation of the trade agreement between Kenya and the EU.
Alongside Mudavadi, Ruto also appointed Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry Salim Mvurya as co-chair of the EPA Council.
Other notable appointments include National Treasury CS John Mbadi, Agriculture CS Dr. Andrew Mwihia Karanja, and Environment CS Aden Duale.
Trade Principal Secretary Alfred Ombudo revealed that the European Commission in Brussels is set to appoint the other co-chair and members of the EPA Council shortly.
Ombudo further emphasized that the EPA, signed in December 2023, guarantees Kenyan exporters tariff-free access to the EU’s 27-member market worth €13 trillion.
The EPA was ratified by both Kenya’s National Assembly and the European Parliament.
The agreement is designed to strengthen trade relations between Kenya and the EU by implementing provisions of the EPA between the EU and East African Community (EAC) Partner States, finalized in 2014.
The EPA Council, as the highest decision-making body, will be responsible for managing the agreement’s implementation, including the establishment of key organs for trade facilitation, dispute resolution, and sustainable development.
The inaugural meeting of the Kenya-EU EPA Council is scheduled for early 2025.
The Agreement is seen as a major step in boosting trade, investment, and job creation, with a particular focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in both regions.
The leaders also highlighted the EPA’s role in advancing sustainable development and green transitions, aligning with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
