Kenyan workers and businessmen are in line to reap substantially after the European Union reported that it is considering a data-sharing agreement between itself and Kenya.
On Tuesday, the EU revealed that it had initiated an Adequacy Dialogue, a first of its kind on the African continent.
If the dialogue is successful, it could result in an Adequacy Decision, which would mean that personal data can flow freely from the EU to Kenya without any limitations or restrictions.
Adequacy is the term that the EU uses to describe other countries, territories, sectors or international organisations that it deems to provide an ‘essentially equivalent’ level of data protection to that which exists within the EU.
According to the EU, an adequacy agreement could result in significant benefits for Kenyan businesses and Kenyan workers in general.
For instance, businesses would be in a position to access information regarding outsourced contracts, access to digital trade and investment opportunities.
“This would bring significant benefits for digital trade and investment, data accessibility and business process outsourcing and would amplify the benefits of the recently concluded EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement,” stated the EU.
Further, the EU stated that the Adequacy agreement if signed, would cement the relationship and trade agreements made within the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership
As of January 2024, the EU was in adequacy agreements with 16 nations.
Some of the countries include; Andorra, Argentina, Canada, the Faroe Islands, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, New Zealand, Switzerland Uruguay,
The agreement would be instrumental towards improving trade relations as EU is Kenya’s second-largest trading partner and its most important export market.
Further data reveals that the EU is Kenya’s first export destination, with 16 per cent of its total exports in 2022, followed by Uganda at 12 per cent and the USA at 8 per cent.
