East African Leaders React to Kenya’s Exclusion in Key Agreement
Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania, all members of the East African Community (EAC), retaliated against Kenya’s exclusion of them from trade talks with the United Kingdom by pursuing their own deals.
In 2019, after the United Kingdom left the European Union bloc as a result of Brexit, the country began pursuing new trade agreements outside of the EU.
Kenya has begun negotiations with the United Kingdom for a new trade agreement that excludes other EAC countries.
As a result, tensions have arisen in the community as a result of the countries’ shared tariffs. This was the same agreement they had with the United Kingdom before it left the European Union economic bloc.
In response to Kenya’s trade negotiations with the United Kingdom, the other members of the bloc, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, have convened a pan-EAC meeting to discuss the negotiations with the United Kingdom.
Unlike Kenya, which requires a unique trade agreement with the United Kingdom, the three countries want the entire bloc to agree to a new trade agreement with the United Kingdom, not just Kenya.
According to reports, the United Kingdom appears to be seeking an exclusive agreement with Kenya before negotiating a trade agreement with the rest of the bloc based on the pre-existing EAC-EU trade deal.
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President William Ruto has advocated for the elimination of trade barriers between EAC nations and the rest of the African continent.
The negotiations with the United Kingdom contradict this, as if the trade agreement is approved, Kenya would no longer export goods to the United Kingdom under the EAC bloc.
On the other hand, President William Ruto is rushing to ensure that a new trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Kenya is in place before the current one expires in December 2023.
If the agreement is not signed within the next three months, the United Kingdom will impose import tariffs on Kenyan products, harming the country’s economy.
After Uganda, the Netherlands, the United States, and Pakistan, the United Kingdom is the fourth largest importer of Kenyan products.
The tension between Kenya and EAC member states arose a week after the Ugandan government complained about Kenya’s discriminatory trade policies.
Specifically, they cited the administration’s decision to terminate an existing trade agreement for the importation of milk powder, which caused economic losses for Uganda.
East African Leaders React to Kenya’s Exclusion in Key Agreement
