A high-level conversation hosted jointly by the Kenya Editors’ Guild and TradeMark Africa took place on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi, bringing together top policymakers, economists, media leaders, and trade experts to examine whether non-tariff barriers are Africa’s biggest trade challenge.
The event, themed “Is Africa’s Real Trade Problem Non-Tariff Barriers Rather than Tariffs?”, featured opening remarks from Ann Mbiruru, Communications Director at TradeMark Africa, and Zubeidah Kananu, President of the Kenya Editors’ Guild.
Benedict Musengele, Director for Trade and Customs at TradeMark Africa, made a presentation on intra-regional trade opportunities before a lively fireside chat moderated by journalist Bonney Tunya.
Panelists included Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry; Anne Nalo, Economic Advisor at the British High Commission; David Beer, CEO of TradeMark Africa; Flora Mutahi, Founder and MD of Melvins Tea; and Linus Kaikai, Group Editorial Director at Citizen TV.
A guided discussion that followed focused on the role of storytelling in shaping the continental trade narrative, with contributions from Alice Mwololo (National Treasury), Patrick Obath (Trade Catalyst Africa), Lillian Mwal (TradeMark Africa), Newton Ndebu (BBC News), and Carole Kariuki (KEPSA).
In her opening remarks, Zubeidah Kananu, President of the Kenya Editors’ Guild, emphasized the crucial role of the media in shaping Africa’s economic transformation.
“As editors, we shape not only what the public reads but also how the public understands and participates in Africa’s economic transformation,” she said. “Africa’s trade problem is not only about tariffs—it’s about the invisible walls that exist in how we communicate, prioritize, and tell the story of trade.”
Kananu noted that trade journalism remains under-reported despite its centrality to Africa’s development.
“Trade is not an abstract policy matter—it is a human story about livelihoods, connectivity, and opportunity,” she added, calling on newsrooms to elevate trade reporting to a public-interest beat rather than a technical or niche area.
She highlighted the need for editorial policies that make economic and trade coverage a newsroom performance indicator and urged media houses to reframe trade stories to focus on real people—farmers, traders, truck drivers, and innovators—affected by regional and cross-border trade policies.
Addressing the challenges in newsrooms, Kananu cited lack of capacity, limited access to credible data, and shrinking newsroom budgets as barriers to sustained trade reporting. She called for partnerships between media organizations and trade institutions, training fellowships, and data hubs to support journalists with real-time trade insights.
“At KEG, we are already exploring mentorship and training modules to build a new generation of trade-focused journalists,” she said.
Kananu also underscored the importance of regional media collaboration, encouraging cross-border storytelling that reflects Africa’s interconnected economies.
“Trade does not stop at borders, and neither should our storytelling. Through regional cooperation, journalists can connect the dots and show how one nation’s policy affects another’s livelihoods,” she said, citing the potential role of platforms such as the African Editors Forum (TAEF) in convening cross-border story labs and continental data desks.
She concluded by urging editors to see the media not as passive observers but as active enablers of Africa’s prosperity.
“If we can give trade the visibility it deserves, equip journalists with the right tools, and hold institutions accountable, then we are not just chronicling Africa’s trade journey—we are shaping it,” she said.
The event featured a keynote presentation by Benedict Musengele, Director for Trade and Customs at TradeMark Africa, followed by a fireside chat moderated by journalist Bonney Tunya. Panelists included Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry; Anne Nalo, Economic Advisor at the British High Commission; David Beer, CEO of TradeMark Africa; Flora Mutahi, Founder and MD of Melvins Tea; and Linus Kaikai, Group Editorial Director at Citizen TV.
A guided discussion explored the role of storytelling in building a continental trade narrative, with contributions from Alice Mwololo (National Treasury), Patrick Obath (Trade Catalyst Africa), Lillian Mwal (TradeMark Africa), Newton Ndebu (BBC News), and Carole Kariuki (KEPSA).
The session wrapped up with reflections from Francis Openda, Vice President of KEG, and Duncan Onyango, CEO of Trade Catalyst Africa, reaffirming the importance of linking media and trade in advancing Africa’s shared prosperity.
