Russia planning to open trading house in Kenya

The local government has backed Moscow’s initiatives during a business mission

Russian entrepreneurs are preparing to supply agricultural products and wines to Kenya, and plans are underway to establish a Russian trading house in Nairobi, according to the head of a business group.   

Vladimir Vishnevsky, head of the commission for developing relations with Africa at ‘New Formation’, one of Russia’s largest business organizations, shared the developments with TASS on Friday, following a recent meeting between a Russian delegation and Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, Kenya’s minister for small and medium enterprises and cooperatives.  

Vishnevsky noted that the business mission, which took place from November 30 to December 5 in Kenya, focused on exploring opportunities in logistics, education, and agriculture, including the supply of seeds. “We talked about the intention to establish a Russian trading house in Kenya – a cluster for the sale of goods from the Russian Federation. The minister supported us on all issues, [and] appointed an official responsible for interaction,” he noted.  

The Russian delegation also engaged in talks with Beatrice Elachi, a member of Kenya’s National Assembly and chair of the parliamentary friendship group with Russia. Vishnevsky indicated that these discussions covered strengthening Russian-Kenyan economic relations, cultural and humanitarian collaboration, as well as potential sports-related projects.  

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“We voiced specific requests to the parliamentarian for the supply of agricultural and alcoholic products to Kenya, in particular, domestic wines from the southern regions of the Russian Federation, [and] cosmetics,” he explained. 

During the visit, Russian entrepreneurs met with Kenyan economists, lawyers, agro-industry experts, and representatives from the IT, banking, and tea-exporting sectors. According to Vishnevsky’s summary, they addressed a range of issues, including assistance from the Kenyan authorities in registering legal entities, obtaining licenses, and adhering to product certification rules. They also examined possibilities for importing Kenyan flowers into Russia and exporting Russian wheat and barley seeds to Kenya. 

As part of the visit, the delegation met with Sergey Fomenko, second secretary at the Russian Embassy in Kenya, to present their companies and outline their needs regarding potential partnerships with local businesses. Following these exchanges, several agreements were reportedly reached. 

Trade between Russia and African nations has reached a record $24.5 billion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced at the first Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Ministerial Conference in Sochi in November. According to Russia’s Federal Customs Service, Russian exports to Africa surged by 43% in value this year. 

READ MORE: Growing demand for Russian grain in Africa – export union

Wheat exports from Russia’s Krasnodar Region to 25 African nations rose by 14.4% between January and September 2024, reaching 14.8 million tons, according to the Russian Center of Grain Quality Assurance. The top importers were Egypt (6.8 million tons), Algeria (1.3 million tons), Kenya (1.2 million tons), Libya (1.0 million tons), and Sudan (0.6 million tons).