NAIROBI DAILY - 25 MARCH 2026
Kenya Finalizes China Trade Deal, Flags Duty-Free Exports; 208 Police Return From Haiti Mission; Missing Voices Reports 131 Police Killings/Disappearances In 2025; High Court Rebukes Shif Rollout, Orders Quarterly Reports
Kenya finalizes China trade deal granting 98 percent duty-free access, flags off first zero-tariff exports
NTV and Capital FM report Kenya finalized negotiations for trade deal granting 98 percent exports duty-free access to China, flagging off first consignment including avocados, coffee, hides to narrow KSh 500 billion trade deficit.
Third contingent of 208 Kenyan police return from Haiti MSS mission
KBC and Capital FM report 208 Kenyan police officers returned from Haiti Multinational Security Support mission, received by NSA Monica Juma and IG Douglas Kanja at JKIA.
DRIVING THE DAY
SUMMARY: Kenya on 25 March finalized negotiations over a trade deal with China following January's preliminary agreement granting 98% of Kenyan exports duty-free access to the Chinese market, President William RUTO announced, as Deputy President Kithure KINDIKI on 24 March flagged off Kenya's first zero-tariff consignment — including avocados, coffee, and hides — in a bid to narrow the Sh500 billion trade deficit. A third contingent of 208 Kenya Police officers on 24 March returned from Haiti after completing their deployment under the Multinational Security Support Mission, with National Security Advisor Monica JUMA and Inspector General Douglas KANJA receiving the contingent at JKIA. The Missing Voices Coalition on 25 March urged Parliament to criminalize enforced disappearances after reporting 131 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Kenya in 2025, with men accounting for 90% of victims and shootings the most common method in 114 cases, as civil society groups pressed for ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The High Court on 25 March rebuked the government over the hurried rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund, finding it violated constitutional health rights, even as Justice Bahati MWAMUNYE upheld the multi-billion-shilling procurement of the Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System as legal under Section 114A of the Public Procurement Act despite procedural deficiencies, and ordered the government to file quarterly progress reports on corrective action. END SUMMARY.
