Nairobi: Stakeholders in the trade sector and residents of Isiolo county have supported the proposed National Trade Development Bill of 2025.
According to Kenya News Agency, the stakeholders presented their views to the State Department for Trade, under the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, during a public participation exercise. This exercise drew participants from the counties of Isiolo, Laikipia, Samburu, and Marsabit to facilitate the realization of the bill.
Speaking after concluding the exercise, the Director for Internal Trade at the State Department for Trade, Elizabeth Miguda, who led the team that conducted the exercise, explained that the bill seeks to harmonize trade governance, address the challenge of duplication of licenses and fees, ease the movement of goods across counties, and strengthen support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly for women and youth in business.
She stated that currently, there is no legal framework for trade in the country, which leaves loopholes for unscrupulous individuals to exploit the disadvantaged and ordinary citizens. “The lack of a legal framework to govern trade in the country has caused a lot of disorder in the conduct of traders; hence, the need to ensure that the legislation is properly in place,” Miguda said.
The bill also aims to modernize trade governance by addressing challenges in emerging areas such as digital trade and e-commerce. The director noted that the legislation seeks to streamline the supply chain through clear classification of businesses to avoid instances where manufacturers decide to also become distributors, wholesalers, retailers, or even hawkers, a scenario that locks other smaller traders out of business.
Miguda assured the stakeholders that the views collected during the forum will be incorporated into the bill ahead of its enactment. The Isiolo County Executive for Trade, Dr. Lawrence Mwongela, welcomed the move by the government to come up with the bill, which he said will help in regulating trade activities for the benefit of ordinary Kenyans.
He added that as a devolved government, they presented proposals calling for the establishment of the National and County Trade Councils, courtesy of the proposed law. This seeks to also incorporate crucial personnel like the office of the County Commissioner, who heads the County Security team, as well as Chief Officers in charge of trade, who will be key towards the successful implementation of the laws.
