Kenya is the leading economy in the
Horn of Africa and should become a ‘Middle Income Country’ by 2030.
It has indeed the potential to do so
provided it does not slow down the pace of its political modernisation agenda.
The forthcoming General Election is a
watershed moment for Kenya. It can either pave the way for on-going reforms and
the promotion of economic growth and prosperity.
Or it can set the country back to a
path of instability and sluggish growth, losing its status as a regional leader
while the rest of the continent is taking off, boosted by better integration
into the global economy, the boom in extractive industries and demographic
transition.
The European Union and Kenya enjoy a
longstanding relationship ranging from development cooperation to close
economic ties. The EU fully supports Kenya’s reform process, which will
culminate in the upcoming General Election and will set in motion the
democratic regime enshrined in the 2010 Constitution.
There is no time to waste. Achieving
credible elections in March-April 2013 is a must. With political will the
challenges can be overcome.
Voter registration and voter education
should start as soon as possible so that no citizen is left aside, regardless
of their origin, wealth or age. All Kenyans must be on board at this decisive
moment for the future of Kenya.
The EU with its Member States is the
biggest contributor to the election basket fund set up to support the IEBC in
the preparation and conduct of the 2013 elections.
The EU is also funding activities on
civic education in counties where tensions among communities have flared up.
The EU has been invited to deploy election observers for the 2013 elections and
is funding a domestic election monitoring organisation, the Election
Observation Group (ELOG).
The EU will soon start talks with the
Government of Kenya to identify avenues for development cooperation between
2014 and 2020. As a result, 2013 will be crucial both for Kenya and for the
Kenya-EU partnership.
The way the upcoming elections are
held and the continuation of Kenya’s adherence to its international commitments
can impact the depth of our various forms of cooperation.
On the economic front, Kenya’s growth
potential remains promising but largely untapped. Our economic and trade ties
are significant: the EU is Kenya’s largest trading partner (in terms of both
imports and exports) and many EU companies have invested and continue to invest
in many economic sectors.
Tourism, with the largest number of
visitors coming from the EU countries, can become a sustainable driver of
growth, provided that security in the region and at the Coast in particular
continues to improve.
The private sector is strong and has
proved resilient over the past years, and can further benefit from regional
integration and globalisation.
Nevertheless, the “foundations for
national transformation”, as termed by Vision 2030, especially in
infrastructure, need to be further improved in order to maintain and yet
increase Kenya’s growth potential.
Governance and the effective
implementation of the Constitution will be instrumental in securing a stable
growth path for Kenya. Indeed, eliminating corruption and strengthening the
rule of law are, and will remain, key factors for the inflow of foreign direct
investment in the region.
Kenya is doing comparatively well but
must consolidate the reforms endorsed by a large majority of Kenyans in August
2010.
The EU is confident that 2013 will be
another milestone in our relations. The beautiful people and peoples of Kenya
deserve peaceful, free, transparent and fair elections. The EU is committed to
helping all Kenyans in delivering such elections.
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Mr Cheserem is the European Union Ambassador to
the Republic of Kenya
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