Show commitment to bipartisan talks

Sunday, August 06, 2023 - 2 min read

Kenya Kwanza Bipartisan Committee members led by Co-chairperson George Murugara (right) Taita Taveta Woman Representative Lydia Haika (Centre) and Senator Esther Anyieni Okenyuri during the press conference at the media Centre at Parliament Buildings Nairobi on July 25, 2023. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG

By Business Daily

Nation Media Group

The latest findings of the Stanbic Kenya Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) survey have confirmed what we already knew: that last month’s anti-government protests were very bad for business.

The survey, which tracks private sector activity indicators such as output, new orders and employment, found that business deals in the private sector last month shrank at a fast rate since the General Election last year.

Besides the effect of the high cost of living, several of the 400 corporate managers surveyed attributed the reduced consumer demand for goods and services to the political demonstrations witnessed in different parts of the country.

Firms in most of the key economic sectors, including manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail and services, reported a drop in sales orders.

The economic cost of the protests captured in the survey, which includes a slowdown in private-sector hiring, should serve as a sobering reminder of the risks of the chronic political unrest.

Ideally, it should induce a stronger commitment from the political elite to efforts to resolve their differences amicably.

Unfortunately, what we have seen in recent days are disturbing scenes of politicians undermining the bipartisan talks they initiated to supposedly end the unrest before the first meeting even takes place.

The resurgence of rhetoric by bullish MPs affiliated with the ruling coalition and warnings by their counterparts across the political divide that the anti-government protests will resume in September if the talks fail may unnecessarily elicit anxiety in the country once again.

We urge both sides to quit their grandstanding and demonstrate commitment to the bipartisan talks.