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What Kenya should consider in free trade deal with America

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 — updated on September 20, 2020 - 7 min read

President Uhuru Kenyatta meets with his US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House, Washington D.C, during the Kenyan leader’s official visit of the US in September 2018. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Kenya and the United States are gearing up to start negotiations on a possible Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Based on the US negotiating objectives released in May, Washington is hoping for a “comprehensive, high-standard agreement” that among other things secures comprehensive duty-free market access for US goods, services and investments.

No sector of the Kenyan economy is off the table including sensitive sectors like agriculture and textile.

Reimagining trade policies requires that Nairobi reject any pressure to base negotiation on US model agreements or recent FTAs that the US has concluded. It requires that Kenya’s trade policies are anchored on national visions and strategies, as well as on continental visions, strategies and principles including the principle of solidarity and collective action between the African countries. It also requires that Nairobi resist and reject the “divide and rule’ tactics of major powers that have wrecked and continue to wreak havoc on Africa. A comprehensive trade deal cannot and should not be the only option on the table. Nairobi may opt for a phased approach. Like we saw with China and Japan, a mini-deal, which addresses a handful of selected issues and leaves big and deeper issues for a later date is possible.