Kenya and Tanzania, East Africa’s largest economies, have regularly engaged in unnecessary trade disputes, a lot of times over easily resolvable issues that should not hinder the free flow of trade. As a result, a lot of jobs and business are lost, sometimes never to be recovered.
One such trade tiff involved bulk cooking gas imports from Tanzania, which apparently is able to land the commodity at a lower price. Kenya has been claiming that the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the neighbouring country is substandard.
In any case neither of the two countries manufacture LPG, which is exclusively imported from the Middle East, and only stored in the region.
Now, the country has signalled its intention to install testing equipment at the Namanga border with Dar to test the quality. Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Kenya Bureau of Standards will install the equipment — the same as at the Port of Mombasa — to satisfy themselves that the gas is wholesome, which for a number reasons is the right thing to do though a little bit belated.
For one, when Kenya rejected the Dar imports Tanzania responded in typical fashion by making access for Kenyan goods difficult. This the kind of standoff emerging economies like Kenya and Tanzania can hardly afford. In any case, apart from short-term upsets, it ends up building into long-term hardening of stances and inefficiencies in the regional commerce.
Two, if the Kenyan side of the fast-growing gas business is inefficient, it is time the country puts its house in order. There is no reason Tanzania would manage to land gas cheaply in Kenya with all the investment Kenya claims to have made in the sector. It is time Kenyans are shown where the money has gone and Dar allowed to do the LPG business until such a time when Kenya will become more competitive. In any case, Tanzania is not responsible for Kenya not having equipment in place at the border. Ultimately, the consumer should be allowed to buy cheaper quality gas as Kenya saves our forests, which have hitherto been the biggest source of fuel.
Finally, testing the gas will be to the benefit of the consumer if indeed there are issues. We believe the installation will help smooth commerce as well as help the Kenyan consumer.
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