News » 13.11.2025 - Kenya announces Standards Bill and TBT Committee to boost horticulture exports

Kenya is removing critical obstacles facing horticulture exports through legislative reforms and a new technical barriers committee. These changes promise easier market access for the country's vital flowers, fruits, and vegetable sectors worth billions in annual revenue. The timing is significant: the new bill comes as Kenya's National Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee, established earlier this year, begins implementing its Strategic Plan 2025–2029 to ease market access for exporters.

The Standards Bill, 2025 was presented to Parliament's Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives this week, with Trade PS Regina Ombam, National Standards Council Chair Dr. Chris Wamalwa, and KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari leading the legislative push. The bill modernizes Kenya's quality infrastructure laws, providing the legal framework to support the National Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee established earlier in 2025.

The Committee brings together over 50 institutions including KEBS, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Competition Authority of Kenya, and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. KEBS serves as the Secretariat, acting as the central point for trade-related technical enquiries and managing data that support trade negotiations and dispute resolution

Kenya faces shifting global trade dynamics, including new U.S. tariffs affecting preferential access under AGOA. The horticulture sector needs agile responses to changing trade conditions. The Committee coordinates Kenya's participation in regional forums including the East African Community (EAC), COMESA, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) . These platforms are essential for expanding horticultural trade across Africa.
 

Source: www.floraldaily.com

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