Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) welcomed the formal signing into law of the legislation reauthorising the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by US President Donald Trump.

This reauthorisation will be effective through December 31, 2026, with retroactive effect to September 30, 2025, ensuring continuity for Kenyan exporters.

The presidential assent solidifies the reprieve for over 66,000 Kenyan workers, particularly in the apparel, textile and agribusiness sectors. It underlines the critical importance of this preferential trade framework and KEPSA’s advocacy role in positioning Kenya as a crucial trade partner for global markets.

“The signing of this act provides the immediate certainty required to maintain investor confidence and protect existing jobs,” Carole Kariuki, KEPSA CEO said.

“While the current extension is shorter than the three years initially passed by Congress, we take note of the US administration’s intent to modernise the programme. KEPSA will immediately embark on the Kenya-USA trade deal negotiations in collaboration with the government, ensuring mutual economic transformation, aligning with both Kenya and US trade policies,” she added.

This win follows coordinated advocacy between the private sector led by KEPSA in collaboration with the Kenyan government led by President William Ruto and regional partners to secure an AGOA renewal after its previous expiration deadline of September 30, 2025.

These engagements included high-level negotiations in New York at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in 2025, such as Kenyan and US textiles investor roundtable meetings with the Kenyan government.

Others were the Kenya-US Investment Forum held on September 22, 2025, in partnership with the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), Kenya Investment Authority (InvestKenya) and the Government of Kenya, which advanced Kenya-US trade, investment and economic collaboration. post-UNGA, Kenyan government continued with diplomatic efforts up until the point of this formal signing into law of the extension act led by President Ruto.

KEPSA appreciated and recognised the work of all stakeholders, including its members such as KEPSA’s Chair Jas Bedi, Vice Chair Brenda Mbathi, CEOs of Safaricom, KCB Bank and Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) representatives, who joined the negotiations in New York, as well as individuals who led sector-led advocacy to the US Congress.

Moreover, as part of its advocacy efforts, KEPSA’s engagement with the Parliament of Kenya led to Jane Kagiri tabling the motion for discussion, a move that further contributed to the concerted call for the renewal of AGOA.

These efforts were enhanced with a KEPSA-led intensified media campaign, which helped translate AGOA’s impact on livelihoods, industries and job creation.

KEPSA has consistently termed this, “the single most effective US policy tool in Africa over the last 25 years. In 2024, Kenya exported $470 million worth of apparel to the US, supporting nearly 800,000 livelihoods dependent on AGOA.

For America, AGOA saves $200-250 million annually on consumer costs for products like jeans and uniforms, promotes stability in Sub-Saharan Africa by reducing conflict and extremism and creates jobs in logistics, retail, and distribution of African imports.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Joseph Ng’ang’a