News Analysis: Indian PM Modi visits Kenya amid falling trade

Indian Prime Minister Nerandra Modi is on a visit to Kenya where he will seek to strengthen trade relations between the two countries, in particular to lift India's falling exports to the East African nation.

Modi arrived in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday afternoon with a delegation of about 80 business leaders.

For many years, India was the biggest source of imports for Kenya.

Latest economic data, however, shows that Kenya currently imports from India goods worth 189 million U.S. dollars every month, down from about twice that figure years back.

According to the data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics last Friday, in the first four months of the year, India exported to Kenya goods worth 759 million dollars.

The most exports were recorded in March at 225 million dollars while the lowest in January at 165 million dollars.

The imports from India include medicine, transport equipment, machinery and textile.

"The prime minister is certainly keen on lifting bilateral relations with Kenya," said Henry Wandera, a Nairobi-based economics lecturer.

Kenya's presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu told journalists on Sunday that Modi and President Uhuru Kenyatta will hold talks and attend a Kenya-India business summit.

"The two heads of states will discuss a wide range of issues that concern the two countries," said Esipisu.

"I can confirm a revised double taxation avoidance agreement will be signed during the visit and a further agreement between bureaus of standards of the nation," Esipisu added. Endit