President Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo/PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta today said that one of his priority foreign policy objectives has been to see trade between African countries grow to a new higher level.
He said he has promoted the integration of the East African region and advocated for increased collaboration between African nations.
President Kenyatta, the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, spoke at the National Defence College in Karen, Nairobi. He said he promoted a structured process for the integration of the East African Community starting with economic integration.
The President fielded questions from participants on the course, including officers from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Egypt and Nigeria. He said people-to-people movement, and easier movement of goods and services was at the heart of Africa building a prosperous future in which Africa’s security and prosperity was guaranteed.
He said he wants to change the traditional trend where the economic interest of African countries ended at their own borders in relation to other nations on the continent while they trade extensively with overseas nations.
National Defence College trainees he addressed were all above the rank of Colonel or corresponding ranks in other defence agencies.
The President explained why he had devoted much time to East African integration, saying a wider market for goods in the region would attract greater attention of investors globally. He also said that exchange of good practises among Africans themselves was pivotal for Africa-led growth.
He was responding to a Nigerian officer, who had said that Kenya should take lessons from countries like his own Nigeria and Ghana on managing oil wealth, while the West African economies had lots to learn from Kenya on areas such as ICT, production of flowers and tourism