For over a century , Kenya and the United Kingdom have enjoyed strong ties hinge on confidence , enhanced cooperation , and mutual welfare across cardinal sector among them trade wind , touristry , security , health , and education . In this clause , Baiju Kantaria , Director at Elgon Kenya , explain his eyeshot on deal relations in the wake of COVID-19 .
The UK views Kenya as a strategic partner due to her wealth of agrarian materials , booming services sector , and for being a gateway to other food market in the East African residential area . It has therefore over the decades invest in grow Kenya to become the area economic powerhouse . Indeed , UK remains one of the largest foreign investor in Kenya with a portfolio approximate at £ 2.7 billion . More than 200 British party have determine up shop in Kenya opening the land to increase utilization opportunities and economic growth .
Kenya , on the other hand , has found a key export grocery in the UK for its products among them tea leaf , chocolate , flowers , and other horticultural green goods . For millions of granger raise French bean , herb , and avocados , access to UK markets has not only given them the advantage of grow more markets beyond our margin but also create a farming gyration where more farmers are finding farming lucrative , which has ultimately produce more jobs and household income .
Indeed at the height of COVID-19 last year , when international craft was grinding to block , due to international payload reprieve , Kenya and UK burnt the midnight oil colour in finding advanced ways of overcoming the dislocation . Kenya fresh green groceries was capable to regain its way into UK supermarkets thanks to the concerted efforts of the two governments and the private sphere a highlighting of which was the conversion of Kenya Airways passenger planes into cargo merchant ship ensuring uninterrupted supply of produce . This decision is assign as one of the factors that has seen Kenya ’s agriculture sphere stay on buoyant in the middle of a calamity .
In this linguistic context , the prevailing diplomatic tiff between Kenya and UK over travel bans occasion by business over new COVID-19 variants should n’t be allowed to step up any further . While in these very stress clip country are acting in their best interests to assure the guard of their the great unwashed , the success stories of collaboration that have define our resilience in the last twelvemonth when the pandemic waste the man and decimated livelihoods should inspire us to comprehend unity of purpose . It is supporting to determine that the two trading partners have formed a joint emergency citizens committee to address the spat and correct the impasse within the short clock time possible .
We are in very unfamiliar territories and there is no severalize how the virus will evolve . But the resolution to cooperate will determine how we can outpace the virus ’s withering impacts .
Kenya and UK horticulture trade is still grappling with other unprecedented shocks foreman among them climate modification that has submit a bell on trillion of farmers and disrupted supplying chains with devastating core . We should n’t lose focus on the huge project forrader in tackling these challenge that no one nation can handle on its own .
In international relations , there has always been , and there will always be disagreements between nations , continent , and neighbour ; follow by intermediation to fix the issues at hand and move forward . We are better together .
For more information : Elgon Kenyaelgonkenya.com
