Key lessons from Asia on industry and job creation

Over the last twenty years, the phrase “Made in China” has become ubiquitous. Open an umbrella in London to cower from the rains, the label reads, “Made in China”.  Buy a new belt in New York; “Made in China”. Today, nearly every toy from Western Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa is made in China.

Kenya has a lot to learn from China and Asia’s growing economies. And especially since manufacturing is a key pillar in the Big Four agenda, we must seek to borrow a big leaf from the Asian Tigers. When President Uhuru Kenyatta tours the largest nation in the world, he should have an open notebook and an open mind. Indeed, there is a reason President Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga are going there together. The manufacturing sector is crucial for us all. For a thriving Kenya, manufacturing and industry need to grow and flourish like grass in a field, spread evenly across the whole country.