Kenya should fortify ties with India

NAIROBI: Historical ties between Kenya and India stretch centuries back. Those ties have helped the two countries to build a relationship which is mutually beneficial to them. Until Chinese imports to Kenya hit a new high, India has been the largest exporter of goods and merchandise to Kenya.

In turn, India has largely imported tea from Kenya, yet still offers a large market for our coffee and sugar. That market needs to be tapped into fully, an opportunity that the visit by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi accords.

A bigger percentage of pharmaceuticals in the country are sourced from India even as a number of patients from Kenya continue to receive specialised treatment in India where charges are comparatively lower than in other countries and the medical expertise is unmatched.

A partnership that could see India build and equip a special hospital locally should be on the cards. The transport sector has also benefitted largely from the tuk tuk’s brought in from India. Kenya’s position as a viable investment destination is underscored by the high profile delegations of world leaders who have come visiting and the numerous trade-based conferences organised in the last year.

No doubt, Kenya stands to gain from Mr Modi’s visit in many ways.