Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Saturday, April 5, met Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor on Africa to President Donald Trump, as Kenya braces itself for the effects of Trump’s latest executive order affecting Kenyans.
Through a statement, Mudavadi revealed that the meeting with Boulos was also attended by Marc Dillard, Chargé d’Affaires, days after Trump signed an order imposing a ten per cent tariff on Kenyan exports to the US.
Mudavadi revealed that their discussion centered on education, investment, peace, security, humanitarian efforts and trade.
Under the new tariffs signed by Trump, Kenya's Ksh109.7 billion (784 million USD) trade with the US is set to suffer a blow after a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all of Kenya's exports.
The tariff will affect Kenyan exports, particularly in key sectors such as textiles, tea, and coffee, which have been exempt from tariffs under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
This, in turn, could lead to reduced exports, job losses, and lower revenues for businesses relying on the American market.
Announcing the signing of the new tariffs, Trump maintained that the purpose of imposing them was mainly to protect America's interests in trade with the affected countries.
However, the move was not well received locally. On Saturday, April 5, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) called on Trump to consider reviewing the 10 per cent tariff he placed on Kenyan exports.
Responding to the move, KAM's Chief Executive, Tobias Alando, argued that the tariff will affect Kenya's export price competitiveness in the US. Further, KAM called for an extension of AGOA beyond its expiry in September, arguing that the act has had a significant economic and social impact on Kenya, creating over 58,000 jobs directly and over 100,000 jobs indirectly.
KAM was joined in replying to Trump’s directive by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, who downplayed the impact of the new tariffs, noting that Kenya still faced one of the lowest rates and was grouped alongside the UK, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.
In a subsequent post, Sing’oei stated that Kenya would advocate for a waiver but noted that the tariffs would not take effect immediately.
At the same time, Mudavadi revealed that the US remained supportive of Kenya’s role in promoting regional peace and stability. Currently, the country is at the heart of peacekeeping efforts in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa, and particularly eastern DRC.
“We appreciate Dr. Boulos’ recognition of Kenya’s proactive role in fostering peace and economic recovery in the region. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with the U.S. in achieving lasting solutions,” he stated.
