Stakeholders on Wednesday, April 12, called for the trade talks between Kenya and US governments to be put on hold until extensive consultations were conducted.
The stakeholders comprising lobby groups for small-scale businesses and research-based organisation, Econews Africa, argued that the Kenyan government was ceding more than it should and thus affecting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
In a press briefing, Edgar Odari, Econews Africa's Executive Director indicated that the government ought to institute measures that protected the small-scale traders before the negotiations began.
He also called for micro and macro factors to be considered before engaging with a superpower nation.
" I think we're a very small country. The economy of the US alone is 300 times bigger than Kenya. The US does significant stakeholder engagements before beginning negotiations.
"As they're beginning negotiations on Monday, it is important that we do the same before the government engages with the other side," Edgar Odari stated.
In addition, the lobby group advocated for the removal of agriculture and digital trade as some of the chapters of the trade negotiations.
Kenya and the United States are set to conduct their first negotiating round under their Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership from April 17 to April 20, 2023.
"During those meetings, the United States and Kenya engaged in productive discussions and exchanged views on the key concepts to be addressed in the trade areas set out on July 14, 2022, joint statement launching the STIP initiative," read part of the statement.
The lobby group noted that their demands were initially ignored during the conceptual discussions held in Washington, DC, on February 10, 2023.
They called upon a more consultative approach to accommodate all stakeholders in the trade talks.
Among the key areas the negotiations focus on include agriculture, anti-corruption, digital trade, environment and climate action, good regulatory practices, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
