Polish ambassador: In pandemic season, our relations start with fighting disease

Kenya-Polish relations were often seen through the eyes of history. A significant number of Polish migrants settled in Kenya after WWII and have gone on to be the initial envoys of cultural ties.

But Polish Ambassador to Kenya Jacek Bazański argues those were only a foundation. The ambassador says the emergency of the coronavirus pandemic is going to be a key area of cooperation, and there are lessons for Kenya too on the integration front. Here is an excerpt from an interview the ambassador had with Nation’s Mac Otani.

What are Polish priorities in Kenya today?

As Poland takes over the presidency of the Visegrad Group, [the association of Central European countries including Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia], we are focusing on four main objectives. We want to return to normality, especially related to the fight against Covid-19 pandemic and reconstruction. We want to build people-to-people contacts, aimed at strengthening integration and cohesion with the Visegrad countries and societies and we want to deepen regional cooperation.

Poland supports a stronger Europe and we want, through Europe, to enhance economic ties, connectivity and security.

However, Covid-19 shocks will definitely have a significant impact on Visegrad [V4] activities in Kenya in many aspects, one of which is development cooperation. Each of the four countries has its own initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing of the Kenyan population. My country has decided to further its cooperation with the World Food Programme, Kenya Office, and for the third time in a row supplement its budget. Since 2018, our four countries, together with the European Union, have been implementing the first-ever joint international development project aimed at helping Kenyan farmers and facilitating job creation across three coastal counties of Lamu, Kilifi and Kwale.

What lessons can Kenya learn from Polish integration in the EU, and the Visegrad Group?

The Visegrád Group (V4) was formed on February 15, 1991, initially as a group of Poland, Hungary and the then Czechoslovak Republic (now separate countries of Czech Republic and Slovakia). It is thus a cultural and political alliance of four Central European states.

Over the years, the group has gradually gained a very good stead for itself, both in Europe and beyond to become a respected trademark internationally, with regular meetings in areas of culture, environment, internal security, defense, tourism, science and education.

Since July, it has been Poland’s turn to take over the annually rotating seat of the Visegrád Group presidency under the unusual circumstances of Covid-19 pandemic. This gave a whole new meaning to the Polish presidency motto, which is “Back on track”.

Are there joint projects by the Visegrad Group in Kenya?

The project, with a budget of around 2 million euros, is co-funded by the EU Trust Fund for Africa and the V4 (Visegrad) member countries. Its main objective is to support the planting of a million cashew nut trees and sesame seeds at the Kenyan coast, thus contributing to revival of the local industry, which constitutes an important branch of Kenyan agriculture. This support is channeled towards food security, manufacturing and job creation, which again are in full compliance with key pillars of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four Agenda.

On one hand, we are aiming at delivering effective, innovative, fair trade and organic solutions through farmer trainings, what should in turn significantly boost household incomes for smallholder farmers and establish their linkages with other actors of the value chain, thus increasing trade and export. Our initiative also has a positive environmental impact through tree plantation in semi-arid areas of the country.

Finally, we hope that this project will make farming a more attractive career option for young people and will facilitate job creation in agribusinesses across the region. Within the project, we are targeting about 15,000 small-scale farmers from Kilifi, Kwale and Lamu, which will be given all tools and expertise necessary to produce organic cashew and sesame for export markets.

Right, but are the Polish focal areas in Kenya, on a bilateral front?

In 2015, our two countries signed a bilateral aid credit agreement for the modernisation of Kenya's agriculture sector, within which Polish companies provide milk coolers to Kenyan Dairy Cooperatives. We would like to further deepen our cooperation in this area. During an economic forum hosted in conjunction with Kenyan manufacturers and entrepreneurs in October 2019, on the sidelines of the visit of Marcin Przydacz, our Deputy Foreign Minister in Nairobi, we designed high quality ICT and modern solutions for agriculture as new possible areas of Polish-Kenyan cooperation in terms of economy.

Within Polish aid, we also encourage volunteer involvement – every summer dozens of young doctors and nurses come to Kenya and work with local communities, thus improving mutual understanding and further deepening our cooperation and people-to-people contacts.

Any plans to improve trade, investment?

According to our Ministry of Development, in 2019, Polish exports to Kenya amounted to $51.3 million, while imports stood at $31,1 million, making Kenya Poland's 98th partner in terms of imports and 91st in terms of exports. Kenya supplies Poland with tea, tobacco, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, mangoes and coffee, while Polish companies mainly sell wheat, clothing and textiles, machinery and electronics, ship cranes, electrical transformers and tractors to Kenya.

We have recently observed a particular interest of local companies in Polish machines, software and advanced technologies that are subsequently used in Kenya’s industrialization process.

Tourism is another area of interest, with the embassy estimating that about 17,000 Polish tourists come to Kenya each year. It will be of particular importance in the post-Covid-19 recovery period, with your country seeking to sustain and revive tourism, heavily impacted by the pandemic.