Work on improving our diplomatic ties

MPs on Tuesday this week ratified the Economic Partnership Agreement, a trade pact that allows Kenyan traders free access to the European market. This trade agreement is between the European Union and the East African Community (EAC) member states; Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda.

So far, the other EAC member states have shown reluctance in signing the EPA pact, an eventuality that could be burdensome on Kenya which has until September 30 to convince its neighbours to follow suit or risk punitive taxation on its goods of up to 22 per cent.

EAC member states committed to join EPA as a block in 2002. The task ahead is gargantuan if only because Kenya is ranked as the only middle income economy in the region, hence, by virtue of their least developed status, the other EAC states automatically qualify for free access to the European market.

While the objective of the EAC has been to foster strong diplomatic and bilateral ties within the region with focus on eradicating poverty, an element of suspicion has crept in to stymie the realisation of this objective. It is not clear at what point the rain started beating us, but the election of John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania last year appears to have shifted regional focus to Tanzania.

Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have indicated they are more comfortable doing business with Tanzania than with Kenya as was the case before. Uganda reneged on its earlier plan to build an oil pipeline through Kenya and opted to do it through Tanzania. Rwanda’s SGR that was to run through Kenya was moved to Tanzania.

To some extent, this appears to have soured relationship yet this should not be the case. It should serve as a wakeup call for us to examine ourselves and find where we went wrong. Kenya must reach out to partner states and iron out any issues they may have.