The country has of late seen an upsurge in diplomatic efforts, with high-profile delegations led by heads of state and government trooping in and out of the country. This can as well be a vote of confidence from the world on our country’s potential.
As a nation, we should open our eyes and see the significance of the visits positively in relation to our national interests. All nations in the world will first engage in partnerships for strategic reasons, self preservation and their interests.
The Israeli prime minister’s visit was overshadowed in social circles by the Middle East conflict. Most columnists in the mainstream papers have come out to advance opposing views and implications of the prime minister’s visit, bearing in mind the religious alignment and emotions that the subject evokes.
Our Muslim brothers have condemned the Kenyan government’s dalliance with Israel, blaming the Jewish State for the afflictions facing Palestine. On the other hand, the Christian fraternity gave the visit a thumbs-up.
As Kenyans, we need to scrutinise the importance of such State visits on the socio-economic welfare of our people. The Middle East conflict is better left to the two nations who have a duty of honouring the peace agreement and ensuring they co-exist harmoniously.
Currently, Indian Prime Minister Nerendra Modi is in the country. He brings with him an astute business and entrepreneurship mindset that is urgently needed in Kenya. With the high level of unemployment, the Kenyan government has a duty to pull and attract investments.
All agreements our government commits the country to ought to be driven by national interests. Balance of trade is one issue that needs to be addressed seriously. Most of our overseas partners have for a long time enjoyed favourable balance of trade at our expense, as we import their goods more than we export to them. The Government has to push for fair trade and preferential treatment of our goods where necessary.
India, a country with a long history of a robust textile industry, should be encouraged to export their wealth of experience in this sector to Kenya since it has been the Government’s agenda to revive local textile industry.
Recently, the Government announced plans to ban importation of second-hand clothes. It can only be logical that we first invest in the local textile industry to meet our demand, at an affordable price.
On medication, instead of Kenyans flocking India in droves for specialised treatment, we should develop our referral hospitals to match the facilities in other developed nations.
Other areas where we should seek partnership is the development of an efficient rail system, especially within Nairobi city. With a lot of businesses suffering due to traffic jams, an efficient rail network is one of the sure means of eradicating the menace. This having been achieved in some states in India, we can learn a lot.
The country’s tourism sector can also benefit from bilateral engagements. The many Indian tourists can be given subsidies to visit attractions in our country.
Lastly, we cannot forget India is the biggest democracy in the world. As the country gears towards next General Election, the election managers can learn a lot from India, which has a population of over a billion people, on how to conduct credible and clean elections.
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