Kenya’s export earnings by destination (Sh bn)

By Hillary Bett

NAIROBI – Uganda maintains its position as Kenya’s leading export destination between 2025 and 2026, with trade earnings rising slightly from Sh63.45 billion to Sh64.06 billion.

However, the United States has registered the most significant growth among key foreign markets, nearly doubling its intake from Sh37.25 billion to Sh63.79 billion to close in on the top spot.

Official data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics highlights notable shifts across major global trade partners.

In Asia and Europe, exports to Pakistan expanded from Sh36.79 billion to Sh38.86 billion, while sales to the Netherlands edged up from Sh37.24 billion to Sh38.69 billion.

Shipments to the United Kingdom also experienced steady gains, climbing from Sh30.68 billion to Sh31.76 billion.

Regional trade within Africa presented mixed performance. Rwanda posted solid growth as export earnings increased from Sh15.55 billion to Sh19.77 billion, and Egypt recorded a strong rise from Sh12.31 billion to Sh17.95 billion.

Conversely, exports to Tanzania dropped from Sh26.14 billion to Sh23.77 billion.

A similar contraction occurred in trade with the United Arab Emirates, where export figures fell substantially from Sh31.49 billion to Sh21.95 billion.

Among European destinations outside the Netherlands and the UK, Germany saw a decline from Sh12.47 billion to Sh11.29 billion, whereas Kenya’s exports to France rose modestly from Sh7.86 billion to Sh8.06 billion over the same period.