Africa-Press – Kenya. Kazakhstan’s inaugural Ambassador Barlybay Sadykov is positioning his country as a strategic new destination for Kenyan tea and coffee, at a time when exporters are grappling with shrinking demand from once-reliable markets in Sudan and Iran.
In a meeting with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Amb Sadykov proposed the establishment of a Kenyan tea and coffee hub in Kazakhstan, outlining incentives designed to attract Kenyan exporters and traders into Central Asia.
Among his most notable proposals was the exemption of green coffee beans from import taxes.
The move, he said, will allow Kenyan exporters to ship raw coffee for roasting, packaging and redistribution in Kazakhstan and across neighbouring markets.
The envoy also underscored the high retail value of coffee in Kazakhstan, noting that a single cup can sell for around $5.
This promises attractive margins for Kenyan producers willing to explore the market, he said.
The pitch comes as Kenya’s tea sector contends with disruptions in two historically important destinations.
Sudan, one of the top buyers of Kenyan tea, has effectively fallen off the export map following a diplomatic fallout linked to Kenya’s position on the internal conflict between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
The ban on Kenyan goods has left exporters scrambling to redirect shipments and absorb losses from a market that previously absorbed significant volumes through the Mombasa auction.
Iran, which is also among the top importers of Kenyan tea, halted imports after a quality and fraud scandal involving mislabelled low-grade tea falsely sold as premium Kenyan produce.
The two developments have exposed the political vulnerability of Kenya’s tea export profile.
It is against this backdrop that Kazakhstan’s interest is gaining attention in trade and diplomatic circles.
Unlike Sudan and Iran, where political or regulatory shocks disrupted trade, Kazakhstan is presenting itself as a commercially motivated partner, keen to build structured, long-term supply chains for Kenyan beverages in Central Asia.
By proposing a tea and coffee hub, Astana is effectively offering to become a conduit for Kenyan products into the region.
This mirrors the role Kenya itself plays as a gateway into East Africa, Comesa and the continent for foreign partners.
Ambassador Sadykov sustained this outreach during a meeting on Wednesday with Evans Maturu, the head of economic affairs and commercial diplomacy at the Foreign Affairs ministry.
Kazakhstan was highlighted as offering strong prospects for collaboration with Kenya in key sectors. These include agriculture, trade, investment, tourism, transport and ICT.
Discussions also focused on preparations for the upcoming Kenya-Kazakhstan Business Forum, signalling a deliberate move to further build ties.
The recent engagements are an escalation of the September 2023 meeting between Presidents William Ruto and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in New York.
A year later, Amb Sadykov, who was then based in Addis Ababa, met then Trade CS Salim Mvurya, Tourism PS John Ololtuaa and Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei to discuss political, economic and cultural ties.
Also on the agenda were high-level bilateral visits, the formation of a bilateral legal framework and cooperation in international organisations.
