FAISALABAD: Kenyan High Commissioner Lieutenant General Peter Mbogo Nijru (retd) has stressed the need for continued engagements to enhance trade between Pakistan and Kenya. He was addressing a meeting of the business community at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI).
He said that despite cordial relations, bilateral trade remained far below than the actual potential and we must align it with the available opportunities between the two countries. He said that a number of Pakistani businessmen were already engaged in trade with Kenya, but sustained interaction was essential to further deepen the business ties.
The High Commissioner urged FCCI members to identify bilateral business opportunities and also develop practical strategies to capitalize these. He said that the Second Consular and Commercial attache had also accompanied him so that they could immediately respond to the trade-related issues and concerns raised by the business community of Faisalabad.
Identifying information technology, sports, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, textiles and light machinery manufacturing etc, Lieutenant General Peter Mbogo Njiru (retd) said that Pakistani businessmen should not look at Kenya merely as a market of a one country but take the entire continent of Africa into their consideration.
He explained that investors could establish industries in Kenya and export their surplus products to other African countries on a duty-free basis. He added that Kenya also had Free Trade Agreements with the United States and China, which could provide yet another lucrative and additional opportunity to export to these markets. He said the Kenyan High Commission could arrange B2B meetings as well as cooperation between chambers of the two countries.
He observed that the entire world was increasingly looking towards Africa for trade and investment. “In this scenario why was he specifically focusing on Kenya”, he asked and added that Kenya offered several advantages, including well-developed infrastructure, a cost-effective skilled workforce, a literacy rate of around 90 percent and a relatively convenient visa regime.
Responding to a question of FCCI Vice President Engr. Asim Munir, the High Commissioner said that appointment of honorary consular was subject to certain protocols, while Kenya was already providing an e-visa facility to visitors and businesspeople.
Earlier, FCCI President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh thanked the Kenyan High Commissioner Peter Mbogo Njiru for visiting the Faisalabad Chamber for the second time. He said Faisalabad was the third-largest city of Pakistan which also ranked second in terms of revenue generation. He said Faisalabad contributed around 57 percent of Pakistan’s total textile exports. “The city was previously known mainly for its textile industry, but now its industrial portfolio has been diversified with the establishment of industries in tiles, pharmaceuticals, information technology, light engineering, surgical instruments and several other sectors”, he said and added that more than 500 Chinese, Turkish and Indonesian companies were also operating in Faisalabad industrial estates.
He stressed that one of the objectives of developing trade relations with Kenya was to use this country Kenya as a gateway to other African markets, where we could export our surplus on a duty-free basis.
He said that FCCI Senior Vice President Naveed Akram Sheikh was already exporting confectionery products to more than 20 African countries. He said that despite cordial relations between Pakistan and Kenya, bilateral trade currently stood at around USD1 billion, and efforts would be made to double this volume over the next five years.
He also highlighted some of the problems faced by Pakistani businessmen in trade with Kenya and called for their resolution on a priority basis.
Barrister Muhammad Danish and Haleem Akhtar Malik also took part in the question-answer session.
Senior Vice President Naveed Akram Sheikh offered a vote of thanks while FCCI President Farooq Yousuf Sheikh and Kenyan High Commissioner exchanged shields and souvenirs. Deputy Counsellor Ruben Ruto, Commercial Attaché Bonface Njuguna, and Protocol Officer Ms. Mahrukh Mohsin also accompanied the Kenyan High Commissioner.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026