Kenya says it has finalised trade deal negotiations with China

Mar 25, 2026 · 207 words · By Reuters

📰 Original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-25-kenya-says-it-has-finalised-t…

Fact-Check Results

“In January Kenya said the preliminary deal would give 98% of its exports duty-free access to the large Chinese market.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm or refute Kenya's trade deal details with China

“East Africa's biggest economy has been forging closer ties with China, with Ruto making a state visit to Beijing last year during which a number of financing and cooperation agreements were signed.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Kenya-China diplomatic agreements or state visits

“The two countries' bilateral trade is currently heavily tilted in favour of China.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to assess trade balance between Kenya and China

“"We have this week finalised negotiations with the Government of the People's Republic of China on a bilateral trade agreement," Ruto told a conference aimed at attracting international investment.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm finalized trade agreement negotiations

“Kenya is also a close ally of Washington and is negotiating a separate bilateral trade accord with the Trump administration.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Kenya's trade negotiations with Trump administration

“Ruto has defended his administration's courting of China against criticism from some U.S. officials, saying Kenya has to export more goods to the huge Asian economy to close the trade gap.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm Ruto's statements about trade gap motivations

“Ruto said on Wednesday that the Kenyan economy had been resilient in the past year, with inflation and the shilling currency KES= stable.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Kenya's economic resilience claims

“Foreign direct investment exceeded $2 billion for the first time in 2025, up over 15% on the previous year, he added.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm FDI figures or growth rates for Kenya