Great trade hopes for Kenya as Clinton due for talks

Over 2,000 delegates from the US and across Africa will meet in Nairobi from Tuesday morning for the annual AGOA forum to discuss ways in which the continent can benefit from preferential trade with America.

The meeting, at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, will be officially opened on Wednesday by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Endorsement

Her presence at the head of a 250-strong delegation is being taken as an endorsement, by the administration of President Obama, of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade agreement under which the US opens its market to African countries.

The trade agreement came into force when Mr Bill Clinton, Hillary’s husband, was the US president. The meeting is also being seen as a diplomatic coup for Kenya, recovering from the 2008 election violence and smarting from Mr Obama’s decision to visit Ghana rather than Kenya on his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Obama, whose father was Kenyan, has been critical of the Kenyan leadership and has called for the trial of those linked to post-election violence. This week’s trade conference is being held at a time when there is growing criticism of AGOA, which was passed in 2000, with some scholars arguing that its biggest beneficiaries are African oil exporters.

Under the agreement, 39 African countries are allowed preferential access to the US market. Police and other security services have been mobilised to ensure the comfort and safety of the delegates.

Police helicopters will patrol the airspace over the city while security officers will be keeping a close watch on airports, ports and other entry points.

“We’ll do our best to handle this one as well,” Police Commissioner Hussein told the Nation. He said “special security measures” were in place for the conference. Security officials do not discuss details of security operations.

He said traffic, a nightmare for city residents whenever there is big conference, has also been taken care of. But Maj-Gen Ali said: “We will do as much as possible to ensure traffic normalcy.”

Twenty two city hotels are hosting the delegates, with leading hotels being fully booked. Trade ministers from 38 African AGOA-member countries, participants from both local and foreign civil societies, and other delegations will be attending the conference.

Some of the delegates will also be visiting Kenya’s tourist attractions, where each will be paying between $426 (Sh32,802) and $1294 (Sh99,638), depending on the destination and the size of the touring party.

Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana are among 38 African countries which have sent representatives. The Ministry of Trade – under which the AGOA forum falls – has made plans for the visitors to travel to the major national parks including the Maasai Mara, Nairobi, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and a host of game reserves.

The conference and tours, according to Mr Joseph Kamuto, the ministry’s spokesman, are an opportunity to start the repair of Kenya’s image after the election violence.

This is the third time the talks are being held on African soil and Kenya is expected to show the world that it is a secure place to visit.

Mrs Clinton will be leading a delegation of government officials and corporate representatives from the US. That includes Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The talks will end on Thursday.