Senior officials who attended the launch of HoCEA. Photo/Newsflash
By Wanderi Kamau
The Government of Kenya has called for stronger regional cooperation to unlock Eastern Africa’s horticultural trade potential, as the Horticulture Council of Eastern Africa (HoCEA) was officially launched in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Representing Principal Secretary for Trade, Mr Matthew Komen, who is the Deputy Director for Internal Trade at the State Department for Trade, said challenges facing horticultural trade could not be solved by individual countries or businesses acting alone.
“These challenges cannot be resolved by any single country or firm acting alone. They demand coordinated public-private action at the regional level,” he said.
The launch was held during a two-day Regional Public-Private Dialogue on Horticultural Logistics and Trade Facilitation, bringing together government officials, horticulture associations, private-sector players, development partners, logistics and cold-chain operators, regulators and regional institutions.
HoCEA brings together horticulture associations from nine Eastern African countries under the theme, “Nine Countries. One Region. One Vision.”
The Council seeks to provide the sector with a unified regional voice on cross-border issues, while strengthening coordination on trade, logistics, market access, investment and sustainability.
Government targets trade bottlenecks
Komen said horticulture remains an important source of foreign exchange and employment, particularly for women and young people.
According to remarks delivered on behalf of the Government, Kenya exports about 467,000 metric tonnes of horticultural produce annually, valued at approximately US$1.143 billion.
The Government identified expansion of cold-storage capacity along the Northern Corridor and at Inland Container Depots as a priority, alongside stronger single-window systems and electronic cargo tracking.
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It also called for wider use of Authorised Economic Operator programmes to facilitate faster movement of legitimate cargo.
Kenya further urged stakeholders to turn trade agreements, including the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement, UK-Kenya EPA, UAE Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), into practical export opportunities.
Komen also stressed the need for Eastern Africa to retain more value from horticultural production through processing, packaging, branding and other forms of value addition rather than relying largely on raw commodity exports.
The Government formally declared HoCEA launched and challenged the Council and its partners to develop an actionable regional roadmap with clear timelines, institutional responsibilities and mechanisms for monitoring progress.
TradeMark Africa Director of Business Competitiveness Anataria Uwamariya said global shocks had demonstrated the importance of regional cooperation.
She cited the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising logistics costs as disruptions that had exposed vulnerabilities in regional supply chains.
Uwamariya identified logistics efficiency, climate-smart supply chains, digital trade and integration of horticulture into the AfCFTA framework as areas requiring greater attention.
Royal Danish Embassy Programme Manager Edwin Chachi called for green logistics, effective cold chains and environmental considerations to be incorporated into commercial strategies from the outset.
HoCEA seeks stronger regional voice
HoCEA Chairperson Dr Jacqueline Mkindi said the Council would build on the expertise of national horticulture associations while creating a collective platform to tackle challenges that cross national borders.
“Our national platforms bring considerable expertise; HoCEA gives us the collective voice to address challenges that cross our borders,” Mkindi said.
Mkindi called for improved access to markets, finance, technology, knowledge and value-addition opportunities, saying stronger regional trade could create greater opportunities for farmers and businesses.
HoCEA Secretary General Clement Tulezi said the Council’s journey began in Arusha in November 2024, followed by consultations in Entebbe in April 2025 before its formal launch in Nairobi.
He outlined five strategic priorities: market access and trade facilitation; cold-chain infrastructure and trade corridors; digital trade and traceability; inclusive value-chain development; and climate resilience and sustainable production.
Regional industry leaders from Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi also highlighted the need to aggregate production volumes to increase the region’s negotiating power in international markets.
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They called for streamlined border procedures, joint cargo consolidation centres, stronger sanitary and phytosanitary capacity and better links between smallholder producers, international buyers and logistics infrastructure.
Netherlands Ambassador Henk Jan Bakker highlighted the complementarity between Eastern Africa’s horticultural production capacity and Dutch expertise in logistics and greenports.
He pointed to the EU-Netherlands co-financed FRESH programme, which supports cold-chain infrastructure, digital corridors and sustainable transport along the Northern Corridor.
The second day of the dialogue will focus on developing a Nairobi Horticulture Action Roadmap, followed by consideration of a Nairobi Communiqué setting out priority actions, institutional responsibilities and proposed timelines.
The dialogue continues through September 23, with stakeholders expected to agree on practical measures to improve competitiveness, attract investment and expand opportunities across Eastern Africa’s horticultural value chain.
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