Russia - Kenya 2024 Bilateral & Trade Relations: Update

Russian entrepreneurs are preparing to supply agricultural products and wines to Kenya, and plans are underway to establish a Russian trading house in Nairobi, according to Vladimir Vishnevsky, head of the commission for developing relations with Africa at ‘New Formation’, one of Russia’s largest business organizations. The comments were made following a recent meeting between Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, Kenya’s minister for small and medium enterprises and cooperatives, and a Russian trade and development delegation, which finished last week.

That Russia-Kenya business mission focused on bilateral opportunities in logistics, education, and agriculture, including the supply of seeds. Vishnevsky said “We talked about establishing a Russian trading house in Kenya – a cluster for the sale of goods from the Russian Federation. The minister supported us on all issues, and appointed an official responsible for this interaction.”

The Russian delegation also engaged in talks with Beatrice Elachi, a member of Kenya’s National Assembly and chair of the parliamentary friendship group with Russia. Vishnevsky indicated that these discussions covered strengthening Russian-Kenyan economic relations, cultural and humanitarian collaboration, as well as potential sports-related projects.

Vishnevsky commented that “We voiced specific requests to the parliamentarian for the supply of agricultural and alcoholic products to Kenya, in particular, Russian wines and cosmetics.”

During the visit, Russian entrepreneurs met with Kenyan economists, lawyers, agro-industry experts, and representatives from the IT, banking, and tea-exporting sectors. According to Vishnevsky’s summary, they addressed a range of issues, including assistance from the Kenyan authorities in registering legal entities, obtaining licenses, and adhering to product certification rules. They also examined possibilities for importing Kenyan flowers into Russia and exporting Russian wheat and barley seeds to Kenya.

As part of the visit, the Kenyan delegation met with Sergey Fomenko, second secretary at the Russian Embassy in Kenya, to present their companies and outline their needs regarding potential partnerships with local businesses. Following these exchanges, several agreements were reportedly reached.

In 2023, Russia exported about US$270 million of goods to Kenya, with the main product being wheat. Kenya exported goods worth about US$124 million to Russia, with the main products exported being tea, cut flowers, and tropical fruits. Trade has increased about 23% YOY while the two sides are also discussing a variety of bilateral trade agreements.

Trade between Russia and African nations has reached a record $24.5 billion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced at the first Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Ministerial Conference in Sochi in November. According to Russia’s Federal Customs Service, Russian exports to Africa surged by 43% in value this year.