Nairobi, Sept. 3 -- Kenya lost more than 5,000 new job opportunities within its Export Processing Zones (EPZs) in the last financial year as uncertainty over duty-free access to the US market delayed factory expansion and contributed to company exits.

New job openings are potential career options and future possibilities, whereas actual jobs are concrete, active roles where people are hired and get paid.

The setback came as the US Congress on Tuesday passed a stop-gap funding bill extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) through the end of 2028.

New data published by the State Department for Investment Promotion shows enterprises in tax-friendly EPZs created 6,732 jobs in the year ended June, representing a drop of 5,337...