The Government intends to pass a law aimed at establishing a legal framework for recognition, protection and registration of unique and origin-based products across the country.
The proposed draft, known as the Geographical Indications (GI) Bill, 2026 has been developed by the Ministry Investments, Trade and Industry in conjunction with the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI).
The Bill seeks to protect agricultural produce, handcrafts and other unique products from misuse while boosting exports.
In Kakamega during a public participation forum, the Principal Secretary in the State department of Industry, Dr.Juma Mukhwana, said the Bill aims to prevent unauthorized use of geographical names to protect consumers from deception.
He said in a speech read on his behalf by Ann Sabuni, an Assistant Director of Communication that the Bill also aims at protecting products, including agricultural products, traditional crafts and manufactured goods whose quality or reputation is linked to their region of origin and enhance rural economies, preserve cultural heritage, boost farmers’ incomes and improve export competitiveness.
The PS noted that, from coffee and tea to Taita baskets, Kisii soapstone, Mwea rice, macadamia from Embu County, honey from Baringo and Kitui counties, mukombero from Kakamega County, fish leather from Kisumu County and many other county-specific products, Kenya’s regions possess distinct goods whose value can be enhanced through formal recognition, quality control and branding.
“Geographical indications are intellectual property rights which identify a product as originating in a country, region or locality where a specific quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographic origin. Kenya has a significant number of products that qualify for protection as geographical indications”, he added.
Dr. Mukhwana said that as Kenya advances its industrialization and export diversification agenda under national development frameworks, including the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), there is a need to boost Kenyan trade and industrial growth by creating legally protected, traceable brands for county-specific products.
“This will, in turn raise prices, open premium export markets and drive value‑added processing and clustering of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs).Evidence from international studies shows Geographical Indications increase product differentiation and market returns; therefore, this Bill creates the institutional, quality‑control, and delimitation framework needed to capture these gains”, he added.
The PS urged producer Associations and competent authorities to register and manage their GIs, adding that the Bill will support value addition, improve market access and increase returns to producers, especially MSMEs.
He said the Bill will help protect indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage associated with traditional products.
“A national GI framework will facilitate protection of Kenyan GIs abroad and ensure compliance with international treaties to which Kenya is a party”, added the PS.
It can be recalled that Japanese entities patented the design of the kiondo in Japnan, hence preventing Kenya from selling them there, because Kenya had not protected its traditional knowledge.
Similarly, the Maasai ‘Shuka’ is not patented by the ‘Maa’ Community but it is considered a cultural heritage item in the public domain, often exploited by companies without royalties.
By George Kaiga
