Ruto Appoints Five CSs To EU Economic Partnership Council

President William Ruto has appointed five Cabinet Secretaries to represent Kenya in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council between Kenya and the European Union.

According to a gazette notice dated April 11, 2024, those appointed include Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning John Mbadi, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe, and Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Deborah Barasa.

The appointments come as part of Kenya’s commitment to deepening trade and investment ties with the EU under the EPA framework.

The EPA, signed in December 2023 after being concluded in June of the same year, aims to boost Kenya’s economic growth by offering duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market.

It also seeks to attract more European investment into Kenya and enhance the country’s integration into the global economy.

“The EPA establishes the Economic Partnership Agreement Council as its apex institutional organ, charged with the stewardship and oversight of its implementation,” the gazette notice reads in part.

The agreement also contains important commitments to sustainable development, including the promotion of labor rights, protection of the environment, and advancement of gender equality.

Kenya is the only East African country to have signed the agreement with the EU, making it a key step toward expanding its international trade footprint.