NAIROBI,Kenya Oct 1 – Kenya is seeking to deepen trade and investment ties with China after a zero-tariff arrangement began opening the Chinese market to Kenyan exports.Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said Kenya was ready to move to comprehensive negotiations with China under the China-Africa Development Economic Partnership framework, arguing that the arrangement could create more opportunities for Kenyan businesses to access the Chinese market.Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday during a reception to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Mudavadi said early gains were already being recorded in exports of coffee, tea and avocados.China and Kenya signed an Early Harvest Arrangement in March, providing zero-tariff treatment on Kenyan products under the economic partnership framework. China also extended zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations from May 1.Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said the new tariff arrangements had coincided with a sharp increase in some Kenyan exports to China.According to Guo, avocado oil exports had increased by 700 per cent, aquatic products such as sea cucumbers by 350 per cent, while coffee exports had nearly doubled by the end of August.Guo said Beijing wanted to see more Kenyan products enter the Chinese market and was prepared to strengthen measures, including an upgraded green channel for agricultural exports.The ambassador said China was also ready to expand cooperation with Kenya in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, education, youth affairs, science and technology.Mudavadi said the government would seek to build on the tariff arrangement to increase Kenya’s ability to compete in the Chinese market.He also linked the expanding trade relationship to Kenya’s wider economic transformation agenda, as the country prepares to develop a new long-term development framework beyond Vision 2030.“Kenya and China have much to share in national transformation into the future,” Mudavadi said.Infrastructure plansThe Prime Cabinet Secretary also highlighted Chinese involvement in major infrastructure projects, including the proposed dualling of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway towards Kisumu and Malaba, as well as the planned extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba.He said the projects would strengthen regional connectivity and provide landlocked countries with improved access to the Indian Ocean.Mudavadi said the infrastructure could also support the development of economic corridors, with agricultural areas potentially becoming centres for manufacturing, value addition and trade.Kenya and China upgraded their bilateral relationship during President William Ruto’s state visit to China in April 2025. The two countries subsequently signed agreements covering areas including finance, manufacturing, infrastructure, health, tourism, culture and education.Guo said China and Kenya had continued to implement agreements reached by the two presidents, with more than 1,000 Kenyans travelling to China for training and study programmes under the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. More than 20 events have also been held under the programme, she said.Mudavadi used the occasion to call for stronger state institutions in Kenya, singling out the electoral commission ahead of the 2027 General Election.He said Kenya needed to strengthen and protect the independence of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to safeguard the integrity of elections.“We look forward to a safe, peaceful, petition-free and goons-free election,” Mudavadi said, referring to the August 10, 2027 polls.He said Kenya’s experience in strengthening institutions would be important as the country pursued national cohesion, democratic stability and development.The remarks came as Mudavadi drew parallels between Kenya’s institution-building efforts and China’s long-term state development.He also reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to implementing agreements reached between President Ruto and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and to strengthening what he described as the strategic partnership between the two countries.Guo, meanwhile, used her address to highlight China’s economic transformation since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, citing growth in manufacturing, trade, technology and environmental protection.She attributed China’s development to the leadership of the Communist Party of China and described the country’s model as “Chinese-style modernization.”The ambassador said China and Africa were marking 70 years of diplomatic relations and reiterated Beijing’s commitment to expanding trade and investment with the continent.The reception at the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi was attended by more than 500 guests, including Mudavadi, senior government officials, MPs, diplomats, representatives of international organisations, Chinese companies and members of the Chinese community in Kenya.