This week-long session was held at the request of the Kenyan Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and follows a similar session held late in 2016 in Nairobi with KAM. There were 8 participants from KAM in attendance and 2 from the Kenyan Export Promotion Council (EPC). Coordinating the work were tralac Associates John Stuart and Ron Sandrey. Dr Henry Mutai, a tralac Associate based in Kenya, came to assist and assess the training week.

Five areas were studied and the papers prepared during the week, will be presented on the tralac website when completed. Importantly, a theme ran through these five projects that sequentially linked them to Kenyan industrial and manufacturing capacity and performance. These projects were:

1. An overview of industrialisation in the EAC with comparative analysis of selected Asian economies.

2. An examination of the trade profile for Kenyan manufacturing goods at the detailed level. This analysis highlights the importance of the US as the main export market and China as the main import source for Kenyan manufactured products.

3. Regional integration with regards to Kenya. This involved looking at changes in intra-EAC trade and intra-African trade and a look at potential trade opportunities for Kenya.

4. An examination of the Kenyan trade performance in the crucial clothing and apparel sector. Here the importance of the US market and AGOA access to that market is emphasised.

5. An examination of the Competitiveness Index measures for Kenya. Encouragingly, there has been significant improvement in several key indicators in recent years.

Team members from KAM were Georgina Wachuka, Brenda Wawire, Samual Matonda, Grace Mbogo, Robert Juma, Danson Ndetei, Jude Songok and Abel Kamau. Team members from EPC were Kenneth Murimi and Austin Macheso.