Trade deficit widens by double digit in first quarter - Business Daily

Kenya's goods trade deficit widened 17.4% year-on-year to Sh437.03 billion in Q1 2026, as imports rose 14.4% to Sh740.8 billion while exports grew 10.3% to a record Sh303.8 billion. Food and beverage imports jumped 40.9% to Sh81.6 billion. President William Ruto emphasized that exporting raw commodities deprives the country of jobs and industrial growth.