Uganda, UAE, and Pakistan Top Export Destinations for Kenyan Goods

Uganda, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan emerged as the major destinations for Kenya’s domestic exports in April 2025, according to a report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

Uganda remained Kenya’s leading export destination between January and April 2025, with exports steadily rising from Ksh 9.82 billion in January to a peak of Ksh 11.29 billion in April.

Following Uganda, the UAE recorded a significant jump in April, with imports worth Ksh 10.83 billion.

Pakistan—the largest buyer of Kenyan tea—continued to show strong demand, with export values peaking at Ksh7.13 billion in April. The Netherlands followed closely, with domestic exports valued at over Ksh 6.1 billion in the same month.

KNBS Report Reveals Uganda Tops Kenyan Export Destinations

The United States also remained a key market, though exports declined from Ksh 6.8 billion in January to Ksh 5.73 billion in April.

The United Kingdom remained a stable trading partner, with exports totalling Ksh 4.95 billion in April.

In the East African region, Tanzania and Rwanda recorded a drop in imports, with values falling to Ksh 3.75 billion and Ksh 2.53 billion, respectively, in April 2025.  Egypt’s imports rose from Ksh 1.88 billion in March to Ksh 2.03 billion in April 2025.

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Germany experienced heightened trade activity in March at Ksh 2.46 billion, followed by a slight decline in April at Ksh 1.98 billion.

Meanwhile, exports to France grew steadily, reaching Ksh 1.38 billion in April, up from Ksh 1.18 billion in January, indicating a gradual strengthening of trade ties.

Kenya’s Domestic Exports – April 2025 (in Ksh Billion)

Kenya’s traditional export commodities showed positive performance. The volume of coffee exports increased from 6.9 thousand metric tonnes (MT) in March to 8.0 thousand MT in April, with export value rising from Ksh 6.9 billion to Ksh 7.8 billion.

Similarly, tea exports rose from 51.0 thousand MT to 54.9 thousand MT, accompanied by a value increase from Ksh 14.9 billion to Ksh 16.1 billion.

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The total value of trade rose from Ksh 310.4 billion in March to Ksh 333.0 billion in April 2025. During the same period, export earnings increased from Ksh95.3 billion to Ksh 98.4 billion, while imports grew from Ksh 215.1 billion to Ksh 234.6 billion.

In terms of export categories, food and beverages remained dominant, accounting for 44.3% of total exports. Non-food industrial supplies contributed 28.7%, while machinery and other capital equipment made up 2.0%.

However, the value of some exports declined, with one category dropping from Ksh 312.5 million in March to Ksh 197.2 million in April.

Electricity exports decreased from 10.8 million kWh in March 2025 to 9.0 million kWh in April 2025, while imports rose from 120.8 million kWh to 131.6 million kWh.

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