China, EU step up contest for Kenya’s farm exports
China and the European Union are competing to strengthen economic ties with Kenya by focusing on the agricultural export sector. Both powers are investing in infrastructure and logistics to facilitate the transport of Kenyan produce to their respective markets.
Why it matters
This reflects the broader geopolitical 'scramble for Africa,' where major global powers vie for influence and supply chain access through economic development projects.
EU Ambassador to Kenya Andreas Peschke during a meeting of the FRESH Northern Corridor Project Steering Committee in Naivasha on October 6 China and the European Union are stepping up competing efforts to deepen their economic ties with Kenya, with agriculture emerging as a new front in the wider contest for markets, supply chains and influence in Africa.
This competition has become increasingly visible in Naivasha, where the EU is supporting efforts to connect Kenyan flowers and vegetables to international markets.
This comes at a time China is opening up its huge consumer market to more African agricultural products.
On October 6, EU Ambassador Andreas Peschke was in Naivasha for a meeting of the Steering Committee of the FRESH Northern Corridor Project, a collaboration between Kenya, the Netherlands and the EU under the Global Gateway initiative.
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