Kenya is working on a partnership with Ukraine to double bilateral trade from the total value of Sh92 billion gained in the previous year by investing in agriculture, tourism and exports of services.
Addressing the Press in Mombasa, Ukraine’s ambassador to Kenya, Andriy Pravednyk, disclosed that his nation’s government is ready to work with Kenyan officials to increase the number of Ukrainian tourists, which in turn is expected to open new markets.
“We have entered into a tourism partnership with Kenya and currently we have three direct flights from Ukraine to Kenya but before the end of this year, we project to have at least 10 direct flights. We are working with Ukraine tour operators to achieve this and this will play a big part in reviving the sector that is reeling from the effects of Covid-19” he said.
Mr. Pravednyk explained that Ukraine is looking forward to working with Kenyan businesses to take advantage of the ready tea, coffee and herbs markets to boost exports. According to him, the Ukraine government has positioned itself to invest more in Kenya by exporting blockchain technology services apart from agriculture machinery and military cache.
The relationship between Kenya and Ukraine has seen growth in investment as exports from Ukraine to Kenya in 2020 totalled Sh78 billion, representing an increase of 112.6 percent compared with 2019, while imports recorded Sh13 billion, an increase of 137.9 from the previous year. The main items imported into Kenya from Ukraine in 2020 include cereals, oilseeds and seeds, animal or vegetable fats and oils, while the main exports from Kenya were coffee, tea, edible fruits and nuts, and tobacco.
