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{
    "id": 369488,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/369488/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 262,
    "type": "other",
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    "content": "nomenclature that is being used to describe the agreement between Europe and ACP countries. It is much about how Kenya will relate with the rest of the world moving forward including the EU. The Mover has ably said that Kenya, in East Africa, is classified as a developing country. Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi are all classified as LDCs and within the World Trade Organisation (WTO) framework or within the EU framework, they are allowed to trade anyhow. The reason here is that what they produce is so small. It will not unsettle any trade balance in the world. It is so minute and that is why they are treated that way but Kenya, in the world arena in terms of trade, is so huge that you just do not want to allow Kenya to trade with you. You must discipline it and that is why the Mover said that in disciplined trade between Kenya and the rest of the world, in this case the EU, we must have some rules that will help the industry here and that is why this particular Motion is very important. Hon. Speaker, I am one of the experts who have been advising East African countries because as you know, one of the legal impacts of the EAC is that Kenya can now not on its own sign a trade agreement with the rest of the world. It must sign as a community. Where Kenya is going to sign, it must sign with Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania. So, if these countries refuse, Kenya will not sign but particularly for Kenya is that Kenya has high stakes. As we speak, Uganda is our major trading partner in the world. Uganda also sustains us and that is why sometimes when you hear them cry when the railway line is messed up, it is because all that we produce in this country, 60 per cent of it goes to Uganda. About 20 per cent goes to Tanzania. That is why within the EPA framework we are saying let us put much energy in the regional trade. However, what EU is now telling us is that if Kenya is supposed to trade with Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, within the agreements that we are talking about – the so called EPA – in case Kenya extends any concession to Uganda, Tanzania, Chad and South Africa, EU is saying that that concession must again be extended to it. That anything we give to Uganda or Zimbabwe, we must give to the EU. That is what the hon. Member is saying should not happen because this will interfere with our own inter-Africa trade. EU is long developed through our own sweat and we are saying let them allow us to trade within ourselves first before we get capacity to trade with them and that is one of the issues that she is calling contentious. It is covered under a principle called “The Most Favoured Nation Principle.” This principle says that in case a country extends a trade concession to another within the international arena, that concession must extend to the rest of the world unless there is a prior arrangement like what we have in the EAC. What we have in the EAC and what we are trying to do with EU, are all anchored under the WTO Agreement, Article 24 that says that if you want to run away from the international rules, you must follow some disciplines. But the EU is trying to go ahead of us and saying that anything that we give to our neighbours must again also accrue to the EU and that is what these countries are saying no to. They do not want that. Hon. Speaker, so, you know that Europe and America developed through our sweat and all our materials. Now, what African countries are saying and particularly Kenya is that allow us as we go forward to be able to put what we call export taxes. You heard the other day the Governor of Nairobi saying that they are banning the sale of scrap metal."
}