The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) has thrown its support for the East African Community's (EAC) decision to delay the signing of a trade deal with their counterparts European Union (EU).
Through their Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, Cotu observed that the region’s industrialisation efforts would be jeopardised should the government open up markets to uncontrolled free access by commodities from EU states.
The outspoken unionist advised Kenya not to sign the treaty against the wishes of the other East African states since this would hamper the region’s integration.
“The Kenyan government should restrain itself from being the 'European Ambassador' to lobby the rest of the member states of the East African Community into signing the EPAs,” he said in a statement on Friday.
EAC stopped the signing of the deal on Thursday after Tanzania and Burundi said they were not signing it.