Kenya is oozing with confidence ahead of the July commencement of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.
President Kenyatta said Kenya has assembled a strong team for the negotiations in which the two countries are pursuing an FTA whose key objective is to drive investments not only for Kenya but the region and continent at large.
In a show of self-confidence, President Kenyatta said Kenya and the US will engage in a partnership of equals when negotiating the trade deal, even as it emerged that the country is yet to identify its priority areas.
Kenya’s pursuit of bilateral negotiations with the US has been criticised by some African countries who have signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and those of the East African Community bloc who see Kenya’s decision to go it alone, as being contrary to regional treaties.
The East African Trade Network (EATN), one of the organisations opposed to the trade deal, says Kenya lacks the muscle for unrestricted trade with the US, and that pursuing an FTA will expose it to skewed competition that will largely favour US products.
