Nairobi, June 30 -- The United States has emerged as Kenya's fastest-growing major export market, cushioning overseas sales from a drop in demand from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as exporters brace for tougher US trade rules.

Analysis of official data shows earnings from exports to the US jumped 32.3 percent to Sh32.56 billion in the first four months of 2026, marking the largest increase among Kenya's key destination markets.

This came at a time exports to the UAE plunged 39.5 percent to Sh13.85 billion, erasing Sh9.05 billion in export earnings, according to the latest provisional data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

Overall, Kenya's export earnings rose by 8.8 percent to Sh406.74 billion between January and A...