Safe Trade Emergency Facility

Implementation Partners

Ministry of EAC and Regional Development, Ministry of Health, County Government of Busia, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Fresh Producers Association of Kenya, International Organisation of Migration, Africa Medical Research Foundation

Implementation Period

From July 2020 -

Project Participants

Frontline workers at Port of Mombasa and key borders in Kenya; SMEs, Small scale women traders, truck drivers

Project Value

$10,000,000

Project Rationale

COVID-19 threatened to reverse the significant economic gains made in Sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly the reduction in trading costs accrued for the prior 10 years. The Safe Trade Emergency Facility (Safe Trade) was TMA’s response to support East African governments in mitigating the pandemic’s economic impacts and the health risks it posed. Safe Trade supported critical short to medium term measures to ensure safe continuity of trade in East Africa, mitigate job losses and protect livelihoods dependent on trade. In Kenya, the Mombasa Port and the borders that have long been the arteries of cross-border trade, were clogged by the effects of COVID-19: long truck queues, closure of cross-border markets, and increased risk of infection to front line workers were reported.

The Kenya Country Programme set up a working group steered by the Government and the private sector to ensure that a concerted effort was exerted in implementing Safe Trade.

Delivery of Personal Protective Equipment to Mombasa Port, Busia, Malaba, Isebania and Namanga
Roll out of the Regional Electronic Cargo and Driver Testing App

Kenya Country Programme set up working group steered by the Government and Private Sector to ensure that a concerted effort is exerted in implementing Safe Trade.

Personal Protective Equipment delivered to Mombasa Port, Busia, Malaba, Isebania and Namanga
Roll out of the Regional Electronic Cargo and Driver Testing App

Implementation Strategy

Safe Trade interventions are centred on 7 key clusters:

Provision of PPE to critical and frontline operations at ports and borders
Technology interventions to keep trade moving (such as the Truck Driver Tracking App)
Trade Policy Interventions
Supply chain support for resilience, relief and recovery in essential goods and exports
Standards and SPS interventions
Advocacy interventions
Gender Inclusion and women in trade and Safe Trade Zones