Dutch business delegation begins a four-day trade mission tour

A high-level delegation of over 50 Dutch companies, represented by about 150 participants, has begun a four-day Kenya-Netherlands Trade Mission tour in Kenya.

The delegation which is led by Netherlands Foreign Trade and Development Minister Reinnette Klever, has already held a round table meeting with four principal secretaries, focusing on Sustainable Agriculture and Water.

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The trade mission aims to enhance trade, investment, and economic diplomacy between the two nations, strengthening bilateral economic and diplomatic relations.

The trade mission which is running from today to Thursday coincides with the State Visit of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima, underscoring the strong economic and diplomatic ties between Kenya and the Netherlands.

This mission on Sustainable Agriculture and Water highlights the vital link between these sectors in food security, economic stability, and sustainability. Agriculture is Kenya’s economic backbone, yet opportunities in market access, compliance, and value addition remain untapped. As a water-scarce country, Kenya can enhance water management to drive sustainable growth.

The Principal Secretaries who attended the meeting include the PS for investment Abubakar Hassan, Dr Juma Mukhwana for Industry, Agriculture PS Dr Paul Rono and Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho.

The government delegation underscored the efforts by the government to establish county aggregation and industrial Parks, as a way of encouraging investors to engage in value addition of raw materials.

The Dutch trade mission delegation will participate in sector-specific seminars, a business forum, and business-to-business matchmaking sessions with the Kenyan private sector, government institutions, and field visits to key agricultural and water sector businesses and project sites.

Public-private partnerships for large-scale infrastructure development and financial sector institutions and opportunities linked to trade facilitation, export financing, and investment in these two sectors feature as key joint topics of discussion.

The agricultural visits will offer insights into floriculture, vegetable production, and export logistics, showcasing opportunities for investment in climate-smart farming, agro-logistics, and value addition to enhance Kenya’s global competitiveness.

The water-focused delegation will explore case studies of projects undertaken by Dutch water sector institutions alongside their Kenyan counterparts.

They will also have an opportunity to visit project sites in Nairobi and Nakuru, offering insights into water-related nature-based solutions, water treatment and supply, and sustainable urban water management linked to the Water as leverage Nakuru sponge city concept.

Speaking at the Trade Mission Kick-Off Seminar in Nairobi, Ambassador Henk Jan Bakker underscored the strong economic ties between the two countries, noting that the Netherlands is among Kenya’s top three export trading partners and the largest within the European Union, with a trading volume exceeding that of all other EU countries combined.

“In 2023, Kenya exported $706M worth of goods—primarily agricultural produce and cut flowers—to the Netherlands, an annualized increase of 4.84% from $557M in 2018. The Netherlands also exported $377M to Kenya. This showcases the significant contribution of the Netherlands to Kenya’s export earnings,” said Ambassador Henk Jan.

His sentiments were echoed by Ms Reinette Klever, the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, who highlighted that companies, knowledge institutions, NGOs, and financial institutions participating in the trade mission have significant expertise in sustainable agriculture and water and are looking for Kenyan counterparts to turn this know-how into action.

She emphasized the need for collaboration to improve the ease of doing business in Kenya.

“The State Visit of the Netherlands to Kenya marks the deepening relations between our two countries and explores the

growing opportunities while addressing joint challenges such as climate, responsible business conduct, and innovation.

Kenya is an important partner to the Netherlands and will only become more so in the years to come,” said Minister Klever.

With Kenya’s strategic position as a regional trade hub, Dutch expertise in agriculture, water, and financing solutions will

be critical in accelerating sustainable development and investment. The partnerships formed during this trade mission will

continue to strengthen economic ties, bridge financing gaps, and create lasting value for both countries.