KETRA Links “Education, Skills and the Future” to Trade Remedies at Wajir Madaraka Day

As Wajir County marked Madaraka Day under the national theme “Education, Skills, and the Future,” the Kenya Trade Remedies Agency (KETRA) underscored how its mandate contributes to education outcomes, skills development, and Kenya’s long-term economic competitiveness.

The theme highlighted the importance of an enabling environment in which education drives holistic national growth. Since Independence, this progress, supported by sound policies, has enabled key sectors such as Agriculture, Manufacturing, Finance, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to grow. As these sectors expand, protecting them from unfair import trade practices remains critical to sustaining growth, safeguarding investments, preserving jobs, and strengthening competitiveness.

The Agency’s participation in this year's event in Wajir underscores the importance of outreach and awareness programs in building publicity, as well as creating understanding of the organization's mandate of protecting domestic industries from unfair import trade practices. Participants, including Traders, Cooperative Leaders, County Officials, Vocational Training Institutions, and Students, expressed strong interest in the Agency’s work.

Small-scale traders and cooperative leaders sought clarity on timelines and the likelihood of successful remedies, while technical and vocational students explored career pathways in trade policy, compliance, and inspections. County officials, on their part, expressed readiness to collaborate in integrating trade risk awareness into skills development and industrial planning.

In his Madaraka Day Address to the Nation, President William Ruto emphasized the need to scale up and protect the manufacturing value chain, stating: “The development roadmap is a Kenya that feeds itself and exports surplus to the world; a Kenya that manufactures more of what it consumes.” 

Achieving the President's vision requires a fair and predictable trade environment that enables the local industry to thrive. At the heart of accelerating this, KETRA ensures that local industries thrive and immensely contribute to the local economy by providing protection from unfair import trade practices. It creates a level playing field for trade to bloom by shielding these industries from injurious import competition. This defense will enhance the sustainability of jobs, improve local tax revenues, and encourage firms to invest without fear of being edged out.

As Kenya advances an education and development agenda that is competence and skills-driven, KETRA reaffirms its role in promoting fair import competition while ensuring that education and training translate into meaningful economic opportunities for Kenyans.