NAIROBI, Kenya – Trade between Kenya and the United Kingdom has hit a historic milestone of Sh340 billion (£2.1 billion) for the first time, marking an 11.9 percent rise over the past year, new data from the UK Department for Business and Trade shows.
The figures, released on October 31, 2025, indicate that total trade in goods and services between the two countries rose sharply, driven by a 14 percent surge in Kenyan exports and an 8 percent increase in UK exports.
Kenya exported goods worth Sh63 billion (£371 million) and services worth Sh71.5 billion (£421 million) to the UK in the year ending September 2025.
The biggest gains were recorded in animal and vegetable products, which grew 15.6 percent to Sh28.7 billion (£169 million), and beverages—mainly tea and coffee—up 12.8 percent to Sh24.3 billion (£143 million).
On the other hand, UK exports to Kenya reached Sh134.6 billion (£792 million), up from Sh124 billion (£733 million) a year earlier.
The top-performing categories included mechanical power generators (up 18.3 percent), refined oil (12 percent) and motor vehicles (10 percent).
Chargé d’Affaires at the British High Commission in Nairobi, Dr. Ed Barnett, hailed the figures as evidence of a rapidly strengthening trade partnership.
“The UK and Kenya are turbocharging trade. Our renewed Strategic Partnership is already delivering progress in a matter of months,” said Dr. Barnett. “To turn ambitions into reality, we’re working together to break down trade barriers. We go far when we go together.”
Kenya and the UK renewed their Strategic Partnership in July 2025, setting a shared goal to double trade by 2030.
Principal Secretary in the State Department for Trade, Regina Ombam, said the growth underscores the strength of the economic relationship and reflects Kenya’s efforts to diversify exports and strengthen market access.
“We are propelling our export growth, targeting to increase the product range and market destination diversity,” she said. “The data we have seen is a testament to our collective efforts to boost exports and promote goods made in Kenya.”
Ombam added that the government would continue supporting exporters through branding initiatives and market facilitation to enhance Kenya’s competitiveness abroad.
The UK remains one of Kenya’s largest trading partners and foreign investors. The British High Commission in Nairobi estimates that about 150 British companies operate in Kenya, employing more than 250,000 people directly.
