• Kenya-UK trade hits record £2.1B in Q2 2025

• Exports rise on both sides after July trade agreement

• UK remains top investor, with £804M FDI in Kenya

Trade between Kenya and the United Kingdom rose to a record £2.1 billion ($2.75 billion) in the second quarter of 2025, according to Kenya’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. The figure, based on data from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, represents an 11.9% year-on-year increase.

The growth was driven by an 8% rise in UK exports to Kenya and a 14% surge in Kenyan exports to the UK. Nairobi’s top exports during the quarter included animal and vegetable products, beverages, coffee, and tea, while London’s main exports were electric generators, refined petroleum, and motor vehicles.

Bilateral Agreement Drives Growth

The surge in trade follows a bilateral agreement signed by Nairobi and London in July 2025 to deepen cooperation on trade, security, climate issues, and technology. One of the partnership’s key goals is to double current trade volumes by 2030.

The UK remains one of Kenya’s largest foreign investors, with British companies ranking among the country’s biggest taxpayers. The British High Commission in Nairobi estimates that around 150 British companies operate in Kenya, employing more than 250,000 people directly.

Meanwhile, UK Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Kenya reached £804 million at the end of 2023, up 26.2% from a year earlier, according to UK data. By comparison, Kenyan FDI in the UK stood at £24 million. Over the same period, Kenya ranked as the UK’s 69th largest trading partner globally.

Lydie Mobio