Ahmed Farah, Executive Director, EABC ‎ at the CEOs - Trade & Investment Roundtable on August 11, 2026 [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
Business leaders and investment experts have called for urgent reforms to remove barriers to trade and investment in East Africa.
They warn that the region risks losing billions in economic opportunities unless member states improve implementation of regional agreements.
Speaking at the CEOs–Trade & Investment Roundtable Kenya Edition on Tuesday, East African Business Council (EABC) Executive Director Ahmed Farah said the East African Community (EAC) should be viewed as a major growth frontier for Kenyan businesses.
“The East African Community is not just a neighbouring market—it is Kenya's next growth frontier,” Farah said, noting that intra-EAC trade stood at about Sh2.55 trillion against a regional economy valued at approximately Sh46.6 trillion.
He said businesses needed a more competitive and predictable regional market, calling for the removal of non-tariff barriers, harmonisation of standards and lower logistics costs.
“Our priority must be to make the EAC a more competitive and predictable market for business. We need to remove non-tariff barriers, harmonise standards, reduce the cost of logistics and ensure that regional commitments are implemented consistently,” Farah said.