With fanfare and ceremony, Kenya last month signed the long-awaited Economic Partnership Agreement (Epa) with the European Union, effectively cementing a quota-free, duty-free access to the European market by local exporters.
But, in spite of the much-touted benefits, the deal awaiting endorsement by the European parliament will not change much, at least not in the short term, because Kenya already enjoys duty- and quota-free trade with the EU under a temporary special arrangement in place since 2014 after East Africa Community (EAC) partner states abandoned Nairobi in pushing the agreement.
