US and Kenya open trade talks in Washington

Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, met with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, at the White House on Thursday, where they opened trade discussions.

Currently, trade between the two countries is worth around US$1 billion annually.

The Trump administration is said to be keen to pursue bilateral agreements with African nations, favouring them over the multilateral African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which has governed trade for the past 20 years.

Kenyatta has already tried to alleviate fears Kenya is undermining the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, the landmark pan-African free trade initiative allowing goods to flow freely between members.

Kenyatta told business leaders in Washington this week “At this juncture I just want to put away a few doubts because there has been a feeling that by Kenya engaging with the US to have an agreement, we are running away from our commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

“I want to assure you that there can be nothing further from the truth as that is definitely not the case.”

But others are not so sure, as economist Aly-Khan Satchu explained how “the other African countries are going to be unhappy that Kenya has broken cover and is negotiating bilaterally.

“He [President Kenyatta] has got to allay the concerns of his peers in the rest of Africa.”

Photo: Associated Press