Nairobi, April 29 -- The number of Kenyans employed in firms under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) increased by 15,222 in the period under review.

Official data shows that 82,026 employees were working for the Agoa-accredited companies last year, from 66,804, a year earlier in the same period that the number of firms grew to 44 from 40.

The increase in workforce and firms signals that the country was not hit by a temporary suspension of Agoa and introduction of 10 percent tariffs for entry of Kenya goods to the US market.

The Agoa-a 25-year old piece of US legislation guaranteeing duty-free access to American consumers for certain goods from Africa. The duty free access was reinstated in February.

"The number of enterpri...