Page 28 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 15

Leadership

Parliament sends a clear message to exports to Kenya over 25 years from ripped it to shreds, thrown the
local manufacturers, local creators the commencement of the deal. pieces into the mud, stomped and
and innovators that the country is The Kenya Association of Manufac- spat on them. Kenya’s parliament
not at all committed to nurturing turers is supportive of this deal, as has been very effective and unrepen-
their businesses. This move erodes is the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, tant at making decisions that are not
the competitiveness of Made in seeing benefit for Kenya in it and favorable towards their constituents,
Kenya products and gives full ad- urging members to improve their and doing so with a straight face…
vantage to foreign products which manufacturing competitiveness but this seemed like the final slap in
already highly encroach the local during the 7-year moratorium. the face. It’s as if they had collec-
market share. From the economic tively said to the nation of Kenya,
lessons of the pandemic, we need Both pieces of news were equally “You’re not good enough, period.
to prioritize being self-sufficient as exhausting to me, but also revelato- Almost 60-years after independence,
a country, and yet policies such as ry. It is always revelatory just how we refuse to support you and give
these move contrary and push us blind, stupid, selfish or heartless you the opportunity to rise and
further into being a trading nation. Afrikan governments can be when industrialize. We choose, once again,
The Association wishes to assure it comes to the welfare of their cit- to side with the oppressor and keep
all Kenyan citizens of our local izens and their economies. Lacking you, our foolish people, downtrod-
industries’ capacity to sustainably in vision, foresight, and gumption den.” The UK trade deal is in similar
produce high quality products for – except for the issues connected vein, to my mind.
the country and export markets. to their own bellies. Afrikan gov-
We urge Parliament to review their ernments talk big about lifting their How can we explain all this? It is as
decision on the Bill for the sake of populations out of poverty, about if these Afrikan lawmakers assume
our Nation, our economic goals, our industrialization, local manufac- that everyone who is serious about
people and our collective future.” turing, about world class products manufacturing wakes up one day
– and then go and make decisions and is perfect at their craft. That
A few months earlier, in the same that leave their citizens stuck in America woke up perfect, the UK
newspaper, on 22nd February 2021, neo-colonial prisons manned by the woke up perfect, China woke up
author Edwin Mutai broke the news Afrikan political class. perfect and took over the world
that: “British products get 25-year with ‘world-class’ products. They
free entry in Kenya pact” Going on When the trade deal initially came forget that China was (and still is)
to explain that “Kenya’s trade pact up, I was thinking, “Why can’t the a properly effective manufactur-
with UK will allow British firms to government see? The UK is on the er of counterfeit goods and that
ship in goods duty-free for 25 years. ropes and is grabbing about for they pretty much stole the ideas of
The post-Brexit trade deal with the deals to make as it grapples with the companies that outsourced produc-
UK will, however, open the window fallout from Brexit – what an op- tion to them and refined these until
for British companies to flood the portune time for us to make a deal they were able to produce goods
local market with finished and un- on our own terms, one that favors that were indeed ‘world-class’. They
finished goods that exclude agricul- us!” Farmers in Kenya even sued to forget that much of America’s
tural and industrial products at the stop the deal from proceeding, but, industrialization started in a kitchen,
expiry of a seven-year moratorium. like with the much-disputed IMF or a garage, or a living room, with
The details of the trade agreement loan, we were rebuked as though we imperfections that gradually led to
were revealed by the Ministry of In- are mindless, sheltered little children products of sufficient quality to sell
dustrialisation, Trade and Enterprise who know nothing of the real world to their own citizens and export to
Development as it asked Parliament and how it works; and told, once the world. They forget that much of
to ratify the Economic Partnership again, that it was in our best inter- what made “Made in Great Britain”
Agreement (EPA) signed between ests. so special in the 1980s has died off,
Kenya and the United Kingdom of with many of their products being
Great Britain and Northern Ireland When the news about the rejection taken over by Indian manufacturers.
(UK).” This deal was eventually of local sourcing of products came They forget that all of these ‘world-
ratified by legislators from both up, I was gob smacked. I felt like class’ products still find themselves
sides in the month of March. The the neighborhood bully had struck with issues, often leading to product
agreement entails a gradual and par- again. This time he had snatched recalls, injuries and even deaths of
tial reduction of tariffs on some UK my favorite book out of my hands, consumers, yet they continue to fall

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