Kenya is seeking to elevate its relationship with Australia to a full-fledged Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as part of a renewed push to diversify trade and strengthen diplomatic cooperation beyond its traditional partners in Europe and Asia.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi revealed the plan on Monday after hosting Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Assistant Minister for Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite, in Nairobi. The meeting marked a significant step in the two countries’ efforts to reframe their six-decade partnership around new economic, security, and human capital priorities.
Mudavadi said the talks focused on broadening cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, mining, sports, climate action, conservation, and labour mobility, as the two countries seek to build a more modern and balanced partnership.
“Kenya is keen to elevate its bilateral relations with Australia to a level of an Economic Partnership Agreement in the future,” Mudavadi said inn a statement. He termed the move as key to unlocking new trade and investment flows between Nairobi and Canberra.
The proposed EPA, if realised, would formalise trade relations between the two nations and potentially create a framework for tariff preferences, investment protection, and technology exchange — especially in key growth sectors such as mining, agriculture, and renewable energy.
Mudavadi highlighted Kenya’s interest in learning from Australia’s globally acclaimed mining industry to help modernise Kenya’s mineral sector, which has long been underexploited. He also pointed to collaboration in agriculture, particularly in improving livestock breeds and seed quality, as areas of strategic cooperation.
On the economic front, the Prime Cabinet Secretary urged Australia to open its markets to more Kenyan exports and encourage its companies to invest in Kenya, noting that the current balance of trade heavily favours Australia. He said attracting Australian investors to Nairobi’s growing markets could help correct the imbalance while also creating local employment and technology transfer opportunities.
“We emphasise the importance of mutual bilateral and multilateral collaboration, particularly in attracting more Australian investors to consider Kenya as a preferred investment destination,” Mudavadi said.
He also lauded Australia’s continued support in education and labour exchange, saying that many Kenyan students are benefitting from studying and working in Australia. He lobbied Canberra to expand these opportunities and tap into Kenya’s youthful, well-educated population to help drive Australia’s economy.
The meeting also covered maritime security and the blue economy, both of which are emerging areas of shared interest. The two nations agreed to collaborate more closely to safeguard the Indian Ocean, which Mudavadi noted carries about a third of the world’s container traffic and is vital to global commerce.
“We jointly agreed on the need to work together to ensure safety of the Indian Ocean for the good of business people,” Mudavadi said, adding that both countries recognised the blue economy’s potential as a driver of sustainable growth.
The renewed engagement underscores Kenya’s broader diplomatic strategy of expanding alliances with middle-power countries in the Indo-Pacific region, a move analysts say could help Nairobi diversify its economic partnerships and assert greater influence in global trade and maritime governance.
Australia, which has been deepening its Africa engagement in recent years, views Kenya as a strategic partner in East Africa due to its political stability, dynamic economy, and regional leadership role.
