Kenya is pushing to turn its growing economic relationship with the United States into a bigger market for Kenyan businesses, with the government seeking more opportunities for local companies to export goods and services to American consumers.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said Kenya should not remain largely a destination for American products and investment, but should also create more room for Kenyan businesses to enter the US market as trade ties between the two countries continue to grow.
Speaking at the AmCham Business Summit at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi on Wednesday, Kinyanjui said the large number of American companies operating in Kenya showed the strong links that have developed between the two economies.
He said the presence of US brands in Kenya should be matched by a stronger flow of Kenyan products and services into the American market.
“I was just going through some of the companies that operate in Kenya from the U.S., and I think I had not fully appreciated the degree of integration between the U.S. companies and Kenya. And just to give an example, Your Excellency, I know many of us, when we get lost, we find our way through Google.”
Kinyanjui pointed to technology, financial services, social media and consumer electronics as areas where US companies and platforms have become part of everyday life in Kenya.
He cited Google, Mastercard, Facebook, X and Apple as examples of American companies with a strong presence in the country, saying their widespread use showed the depth of the commercial relationship between the two nations.
“When you go to your gas station, and you need fuel, you need your Mastercard. So the degree of integration is quite huge. Your phone, you need to check what Kenyans are saying, and you know in social media we are the highest in the continent. You need to know what Facebook and Twitter are talking about, not forgetting you're on your iPhone.”
The close relationship is also reflected in trade figures, with goods traded between the US and Kenya estimated at Sh232.2 billion in 2025.
US exports to Kenya stood at Sh127.81 billion, while imports from Kenya were valued at Sh110.798 billion.
US goods exports to Kenya increased by 28.5 per cent from 2024, while imports from Kenya rose by 16.5 per cent over the same period.
When services are included, total trade in goods and services between the two countries reached an estimated Sh438.6 billion in 2025, an increase of 7.2 per cent from the previous year.
Kinyanjui said Kenya wants to build on these commercial links by finding more ways for local firms to sell their products in the United States.
“We also hope that as Kenyans embrace American brands, there will also be opportunity for us to sell our products into the U.S. And it is for that reason that we welcome the recent extension of AGOA, and we will continue exploring other opportunities for Kenyan companies into the United States of America.”
Kenya remains eligible for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), including duty-free access for qualifying textile and apparel exports.
The US says AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to more than 1,800 products, in addition to more than 5,000 products covered under the Generalized System of Preferences programme.
However, the future of AGOA remains under wider discussions as Washington reviews its trade relations with African countries.
In February 2026, the US extended AGOA until December 31, 2026, with the extension applied retroactively from September 30, 2025. The US has since begun consultations on possible changes to the programme.
The American market remains an important destination for Kenyan apparel and agricultural products, with both sectors among those that have benefited from AGOA preferences.
Kinyanjui said the government would continue seeking other ways to improve access to the US market for Kenyan businesses while also working to attract more American companies and investment into Kenya.
He said the economic relationship should deliver opportunities for businesses in both countries instead of mainly allowing American companies to expand their presence in Kenya.
Tourism is another major part of the Kenya-US relationship, with Kinyanjui noting that American visitors are among the country's leading sources of international tourists.
He said Kenya's appeal to American tourists and investors was supported by its currency, stability, strategic location, people and technology, which he described as providing a “no worries” environment for tourism and business.
The CS also listed Kenya's location, technology sector, skilled workforce and business environment among the factors that make the country an important commercial partner for the US.
He said the relationship had also moved beyond traditional government-to-government engagement, with American companies now deeply connected to Kenyan consumers and businesses.
Kinyanjui's remarks come as President William Ruto's administration seeks to attract more US investment while positioning Kenya as a gateway to the wider African market.
Trade between the US and sub-Saharan Africa reached Sh7.2756 trillion in 2025.
US exports to the region increased by 21.5 per cent to Sh2.9283 trillion, while imports from sub-Saharan Africa rose by 12.2 per cent to Sh4.3473 trillion.
Kinyanjui said Kenya would seek to build on the expanding trade and investment relationship by bringing in more American investment while creating greater opportunities for Kenyan companies to reach US consumers.