Laikipia County MP pushes for AGOA extension, warns over 60K jobs at risk

Laikipia County Woman Representative Jane Kagiri has tabled a motion in the National Assembly urging the Kenyan government to pursue the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a landmark U.S. trade programme set to expire in September 2025.

The motion seeks to have AGOA extended for an additional sixteen years, until 2041, citing its vital role in boosting exports, creating employment, and attracting investment across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Kagiri noted that Kenya alone risks losing more than 66,000 direct jobs, with many more indirect opportunities at stake if AGOA is not renewed. Women, who account for about 75 percent of AGOA’s beneficiaries, stand to be disproportionately affected, with the impact spilling over into education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation initiatives that rely on their incomes.

“AGOA has significantly boosted African exports to the United States of America, including agricultural products such as coffee, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, amounting to over USD 500 million in 2020, as well as enhancing local textile and cotton industries that have generated thousands of jobs.”

“The expiration of the term of AGOA would trigger market uncertainty, deter investment, disrupt supply chains, and adversely impact both African and American businesses that rely on AGOA-linked trade,” she states in the motion.

Kagiri pointed out that AGOA has also strengthened U.S. supply chain diversification, boosted bilateral trade ties, and connected American businesses with opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The motion proposes that in the event the programme is not renewed, there should be a two-year transition period to allow Kenya and the U.S. to negotiate an alternative trade deal that safeguards businesses and jobs on both sides.

AGOA, first enacted in 2000 and extended in 2015, has been instrumental in shaping Africa-U.S. trade relations. Its pending expiry has sparked urgent calls from African governments, private sector players, and policymakers for a long-term renewal to secure the economic gains achieved over the past two decades.