Kenya: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands have affirmed the continued support to bolster horticultural trade ties with the African country. The royals visited Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD) which facilitates transportation of horticultural produce exports including fresh cut flowers to the Netherlands.
Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport – Davis Chirchir appreciated the Netherlands as a leading importer of Kenyan cut flowers with his welcoming remarks and reiterated the commitment by the government to foster trade particularly in their fresh production.
The CS pointed towards the recent successful transport of fresh flowers from the Naivasha ICD to the Port of Mombasa as evidence of the growing initiatives aims at facilitating access to the European market.
Moreover, in a separate round table discussions with investors in the horticultural sector, the Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority – Capt. William Ruto asserted the KPA’s commitment to improve intermodal connectivity, especially through the ICDs in Naivasha and Nairobi.
The MD of KPA highlighted the significant investments in cold storage facilities and innovative air-to-sea transportation solutions, that showcases a proactive approach to ensure that fresh produce of Kenya meets stringent international export standards.
As per the sources, the Port of Mombasa handled an impressive 297,000 tons of horticultural products in 2024. It further underscores the growing importance of the port as a regional trade hub.
Notably, the royal couple during their tour was accompanied by the Cabinet Secretaries, such Minister of Agricultural and Livestock Development – Mutahi Kagwe; Trade, Investment and Industry Minister – Lee Kinyanjui; Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands – Caspar Veldkamp; Minister for Foreign Trade and Development – Reinette Klever.
The Governor of Mombasa – Abdulswamad S. Nassir; General Manager for Corporate Services – Edward Kamau and General Manager for Corporate Research Planning and Compliance – Evelyn U. Chibule also attended the event.
Besides this, the Managing Director of KPA held fruitful discussions with the Flying Swan Group in a meeting that focused on business investments in the region.