In a meeting with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, Amb Sadykov proposed the establishment of a Kenyan tea and coffee
hub in Kazakhstan, outlining incentives designed to attract Kenyan exporters
and traders into Central Asia.
Among his most notable proposals was the exemption of green
coffee beans from import taxes.
The move, he said, will allow Kenyan exporters to ship raw
coffee for roasting, packaging and redistribution in Kazakhstan and across
neighbouring markets.
The envoy also underscored the high retail value of coffee
in Kazakhstan, noting that a single cup can sell for around $5.
This promises attractive margins for Kenyan producers
willing to explore the market, he said.
The pitch comes as Kenya’s tea sector contends with
disruptions in two historically important destinations.
Sudan, one of the top buyers of Kenyan tea, has effectively
fallen off the export map following a diplomatic fallout linked to Kenya’s
position on the internal conflict between the armed forces and the Rapid
Support Forces.
The ban on Kenyan goods has left exporters scrambling to
redirect shipments and absorb losses from a market that previously absorbed
significant volumes through the Mombasa auction.
Iran, which is also among the top importers of Kenyan tea,
halted imports after a quality and fraud scandal involving mislabelled
low-grade tea falsely sold as premium Kenyan produce.
The two developments have exposed the political
vulnerability of Kenya’s tea export profile.
It is against this backdrop that Kazakhstan’s interest is
gaining attention in trade and diplomatic circles.
Unlike Sudan and Iran, where political or regulatory shocks
disrupted trade, Kazakhstan is presenting itself as a commercially motivated
partner, keen to build structured, long-term supply chains for Kenyan beverages
in Central Asia.
By proposing a tea and coffee hub, Astana is effectively
offering to become a conduit for Kenyan products into the region.
This mirrors the role Kenya itself plays as a gateway into
East Africa, Comesa and the continent for foreign partners.
Ambassador Sadykov sustained this outreach during a meeting
on Wednesday with Evans Maturu, the head of economic affairs and commercial
diplomacy at the Foreign Affairs ministry.
Kazakhstan was highlighted as offering strong prospects for
collaboration with Kenya in key sectors. These include agriculture, trade,
investment, tourism, transport and ICT.
Discussions also focused on preparations for the upcoming
Kenya-Kazakhstan Business Forum, signalling a deliberate move to further build
ties.
The recent engagements are an escalation of the September
2023 meeting between Presidents William Ruto and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in New
York.
A year later, Amb Sadykov, who was then based in Addis
Ababa, met then Trade CS Salim Mvurya, Tourism PS John Ololtuaa and Foreign
Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei to discuss political, economic and cultural ties.
Also on the agenda were high-level bilateral visits, the
formation of a bilateral legal framework and cooperation in international
organisations.
