By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Kenya and Germany’s Bavaria State are seeking to deepen economic cooperation with focus on skills development and trade growth.
The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Salim Mvurya hosted a delegation from the Bavarian State of Germany, led by Tobias Gotthardt, MDL Vice Minister in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs in Nairobi to formalize the agreements.
The meeting centred on mobilizing investments from Bavaria while prioritizing skills development in Kenya to support German businesses operating in Kenya.
CS Mvurya underscored the need of scaling up technical training programs to equip Kenyan workers with requisite skills required by foreign investors, particularly in high-demand sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and technology.
“We are looking at how we can position the two countries in terms of investment, with a strong focus on developing skilled workers to meet investor needs. Startups are at the forefront of technology and business mentorship, and there is significant potential for collaboration with German investors to promote entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said.
Echoing his sentiments, Bavaria’s Economic Minister Tobias Gotthardt, hailed Kenya’s confidence in growing its investment portfolio, affirming Bavaria’s commitment in in building sustainable partnerships.
“We value this collaboration, especially under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), with Kenya well positioned as a gateway to African markets,” he remarked.
Despite growing trade relations, CS Mvurya expressed the need to address the trade imbalance between Kenya and Germany. While Kenya exports coffee, tea, flowers, and macadamia nuts worth over Ksh 16 billion to Germany, imports from Germany currently stand at Ksh39 billion.
“The trade balance currently favours Germany, and we are committed to increasing Kenyan exports to ensure a more balanced trade relationship,” Mvurya stated.
The visit reinforced both states’ commitment to deepening economic cooperation by maximizing the opportunities presented by the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, which provides duty-free and quota-free market access for Kenyan exports.
The Bavarian delegation, comprising representatives from 25 companies, proceeded to officially open the Bavarian Representative Office in Nairobi, marking a new milestone in BavarianK enyan relations.
