KEPROBA Calls on Kenyan Exporters to Exploit Lucrative Japanese Market Opportunities
“While Japan’s imports were growing at 2.5 per cent, Kenya’s exports into that market were only growing at 0.6 percent”. Mukabana Noted.
Floice Mukabana, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA), addresses the media in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, where she highlighted emerging opportunities for local farmers and exporters to tap into the Japanese market through value-added exports of avocados, tea, and macadamia. Photo: Hubz Media.
By Joseph Mburu
The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) has rallied local exporters to seize emerging opportunities in the Japanese market, following a stakeholder engagement forum held in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
The meeting, led by KEPROBA Chief Executive Officer Floice Mukabana, brought together exporters and industry stakeholders to address long-standing trade barriers and explore strategies for expanding Kenya’s presence in high-value international markets.
At the centre of the engagement was the launch of a new Exporter Challenge Tracking Tool, designed to systematically capture, record, and escalate challenges faced by Kenyan exporters. According to Mukabana, addressing these obstacles is critical to unlocking the country’s export potential.
“Once we are able to handle the challenges the exporters are facing, we anticipate exports to grow as a consequence,” she said.
The tool is expected to enhance facilitation efforts and ensure that concerns raised by exporters are addressed efficiently.
Another key focus of the forum was the dissemination of findings from a comprehensive Japanese market survey conducted ahead of Expo 2025 Osaka. The study examined Japanese consumer preferences, market entry requirements, product standards, and opportunities available to Kenyan exporters.
“While Japan’s imports were growing at 2.5 per cent, Kenya’s exports into that market were only growing at 0.6 per cent. That is a situation that needed to be corrected, and that is exactly what we are here to do,” Mukabana noted.
KEPROBA commissioned the survey as part of efforts to address Kenya’s persistent trade imbalance with Japan, which has largely been attributed to the export of raw, unbranded, and bulk agricultural commodities.
“The reason there is a huge trade imbalance between the two countries comes down to one thing—we are selling raw, unbranded, bulk agricultural products, and as a result, we are not getting the premium prices we deserve,” she said.
To address the challenge, KEPROBA is implementing a multi-pronged strategy focused on value addition, product diversification, branding, and the development of supporting infrastructure.
Mukabana noted that Uasin Gishu County stands to benefit significantly from increased access to the Japanese market through the export of high-value agricultural products such as avocados, tea, and macadamia. She said growing demand for premium-quality food products in Japan presents an opportunity for farmers, cooperatives, and exporters in the region to earn better returns by meeting international standards and embracing value addition.
The agency is encouraging exporters to move away from bulk commodity trading and instead embrace specialty and branded products that appeal to Japan’s quality-conscious consumers.
With discussions underway on capacity building, infrastructure development, and market entry pathways, KEPROBA says it is taking a more deliberate approach to increasing Kenya’s share of the Japanese market.
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