The arc of Kenya’s progress is moving forward resiliently

Kenya’s political environment has been spectacularly intense over the last two months. The country’s business environment has also been through its own roller-coaster season that particularly saw share prices at the Nairobi Securities Exchange rally to a 23-month high before tapering off on the back of the Supreme Court ruling on the presidential poll.

The events of the last two months notwithstanding, it’s probably time to look back and reflect on how far Kenya has come over the last five years, even in the face of significant challenges ranging from terror threats to adverse weather conditions. From where I sit, Kenya has demonstrated resilience. Kenya’s resilience is primarily because of its well-diversified economy, which is ranked the 4th largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in excess of Sh6 trillion.

Kenya expects continued improvement in the agricultural sector – the country’s economic mainstay, contributing a third of its Gross Domestic Product. This expectation is especially considering the latest quarterly report by the Agriculture and Food Authority, which shows that the country’s income from agricultural exports increased during the 2016/2017 financial year. The report shows a 23 per cent and 18 per cent increase in volume and value respectively.

Good causes

The warmth and generosity of Kenyans continue to evoke world acclaim. Kenya has been listed third in the World Generosity Index (WGI) score, an improvement from being position 12 in the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which formulates the leading global index of generosity. According to the CAF World Giving Index, Kenyans are most likely to help a stranger, donate money toward a good cause and volunteer their services. This has over the years been made visible through their ability to galvanise around good causes. Kenya stands tall today as one of the few countries in the world that have banned the use of plastic carrier bags.

Kenya’s ban on the use of plastic carrier bags has been lauded by one of the world’s most influential newspapers, the New York Times. The New York Times not only praised Kenya’s move but urged the rest of the world to take a similar action.

This is in line with a campaign spearheaded by the United Nations dubbed “Clean Seas Campaign” that seeks to eliminate the use of plastic micro beads and single-use plastic bags by 2022. The New York Times’ editorial published on September 14th said, “Kenya and more than 40 other countries are acting now to help meet this goal. There is no excuse for the rest of the world to wait.”

Kenya’s ban on plastic carrier bags, which came into effect on August 28th, has so far been received positively with eight in every ten Kenyans supporting the ban, showing that a majority are ready and willing to embrace new alternative eco-friendly packaging. There has been an all-round adoption of new packaging in homes and businesses.

In addition, the port of Mombasa which is significant for ease of doing business in Kenya has received two ultra-modern diesel electric cranes aimed at mitigating the negative effects on the environment. Kenya expects an overall growth in tourism and investment from local and foreign investors, which translates to better economy with improvements in aviation which has played a significant role in putting the country on the map for top notch services and facilities. The United States Federal Aviation Authority has given the national carrier, Kenya Airways the go-ahead to plan for direct flights between Kenya and the US, which means more trade and investment in the years to come.

In other words, there’s much to be proud of about Kenya. Kenya’s arc of progress is moving forward resiliently. But we must acknowledge and protect the gains we’ve made so far, knowing full well that Kenya is the land of unlimited possibilities. Let’s Make It Kenya!

- Ms Luseka is the CEO of Brand Kenya Board. mary.luseka@brandkenya.go.ke