Kenya has begun to reap of the highly aggressive expansion of international markets for its products, with data showing the country’s export earnings grew by Ksh1.1 trillion in 2024.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2025, the jump in earnings can be traced to a boost from tea, apparel, oils, fruits, coffee, and jet fuel re-exports.
Despite growth in earnings, a detailed review shows exports grew modestly, jumping from Ksh906.32 billion in 2023 to Ksh932.15 billion in 2024. This indicates a 2.8 per cent increase, signalling steady, if not dramatic, export performance.
One area where Kenya has recorded sharp growth is in re-exports, which soared by 77.2 per cent in the same period, from Ksh101.6 billion in 2023 to Ksh180.16 billion in 2024.
The rise in re-exports coincides with President William Ruto’s rapid expansion of the Special Economic Zones to increase the country’s manufacturing footprint, with plans to establish at least one in all 47 counties.
KNBS data shows re-exports have more than doubled since 2020, soaring from Ksh76.34 billion to Ksh180.16 billion—an increase of 136 per cent.
Comparing the trade figures from 2024 with those of 2020, the country has witnessed a 64.3 per cent growth over the four years from a base of Ksh567.37 billion in the COVID-19-ravaged year to Ksh932.15 billion.
Kenya’s top exports in 2024 were horticulture, contributing Ksh203.6 billion, followed by tea to the tune of Ksh189.1 billion. The other main exports include apparel and clothing to the US under AGOA, worth Ksh56.8 billion, unroasted coffee at Ksh38.4 billion, and animal and vegetable oils at Ksh30.3 billion.
According to KNBS, the volume of trade rose to Ksh3.8 trillion in 2024, up from Ksh3.6 trillion in 2023. While exports are growing, imports remain the dominant force as the trade deficit remains deeply negative, standing at Ksh1.59 trillion in 2024.
Still, the export cover ratio—indicating the extent to which exports pay for imports—rose to 41.1 per cent, the highest in five years, offering a faint silver lining.
The report, which covers Kenya’s trade in 2024, shows Kenya imports largely from China (Ksh576.1 billion), followed by the United Arab Emirates (Ksh337.3 billion). The others are India (Ksh263.2 billion), the US (Ksh155.6 billion), and Japan (Ksh109.2 billion), ranking third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
The country’s top five imports are petroleum, machines, fats and oils, plastic articles and iron and steel. Petroleum is by far the largest import, with Ksh552.4 billion spent to import the crucial commodity.
