Kibaki instructed Kenya's trade and finance ministers to open talks with the country's textile exporters to help stem an expected loss in jobs put at risk after the end of a global quota agreement at the beginning of the year.

The president's office said in a statement that Kenyan jobs were imperiled by "rising exports to Europe and the USA from the Asian continent" resulting from the January 1 expiry of the 31-year-old Multi-Fibre Agreement.

"This development is a big threat to Kenyan exports and poses a serious danger to Kenyan jobs and we must do all in our power to protect a sub-sector that is providing thousands of jobs for our people," it said.