MPs demand accountability over billions spent on Kenya’s trade missions
By Aloys Michael, May 23, 2026Kenya’s ambitious foreign trade missions are now under intense scrutiny after Members of Parliament (MPs) questioned whether billions of shillings spent on overseas trade promotion are delivering meaningful economic returns for taxpayers.
The debate erupted during a session of the National Assembly Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives at Parliament Buildings on Friday, May 22, 2026, as lawmakers reviewed the 2026/2027 Budget Estimates for the State Department for Trade.
In the storm is the government’s proposed Ksh1.2 billion allocation under the International Trade Development and Promotion sub-programme, money intended to fund trade fairs, exhibitions, bilateral negotiations and overseas market expansion initiatives.
MPs openly challenged the effectiveness of Kenya’s foreign trade strategy, warning that taxpayers could be financing costly international trips with little measurable impact on exports, jobs or investment growth.
“The department was not being sufficiently proactive in securing markets for Kenyan goods in foreign markets,” committee members argued during the heated session.
The lawmakers also questioned the effectiveness of Kenya’s Trade Attaché Programme, which deploys trade representatives to foreign missions to identify export opportunities for local products.
In a bold proposal that could reshape Kenya’s economic diplomacy, legislators suggested that the government should instead tap into the Kenyan diaspora to market local products abroad.
According to the MPs, Kenyans living overseas, especially those who have acquired citizenship in their host countries, possess deeper knowledge of local business environments and consumer trends than government-appointed officers.
“Such an approach would provide wider market coverage at a lower cost,” MPs noted, pointing to the United States, where Kenya reportedly has only one trade officer serving an expansive market spread across dozens of states.
On its part, the State Department for Trade defended the spending, insisting that international engagements remain critical for promoting Kenyan products and negotiating bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.
Officials told the committee that the current allocation is still inadequate to fully execute the department’s mandate and are now seeking an additional Ksh784 million to bridge the funding gap.
However, lawmakers demanded hard evidence showing whether the spending is translating into export growth and economic value.
The committee has now ordered a comprehensive report detailing public funds spent on trade fairs, exhibitions and foreign engagements, alongside the actual returns generated from those investments.
The findings could determine whether Kenya continues its aggressive global trade promotion strategy, or adopts a leaner, diaspora-driven model that MPs say may deliver better value for money.