economic respect

In a moment that should have sparked national concern, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, sought to downplay the impact of the newly announced 10% U.S. tariffs on Kenyan exports. In a statement released on Thursday, he assured Kenyans that the government is actively working to mitigate any negative effects while seizing new opportunities.

“The new tariff policy presents both challenges and openings for Kenya. While our exporters will face a 10% duty in the U.S. market, it is significantly lower than the rates imposed on key competitors like Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh,” Kinyanjui said.

Rather than demand better, we are told to be content because others are worse off. This is not leadership—it is surrender dressed up as diplomacy.

Comparative Complacency Is Not Strategy

From economic policy to national security, Kenya Kwanza’s defenders have grown disturbingly comfortable with mediocrity. After the deaths during Mandamano and Finance Bill protests, senior officials went into overdrive comparing casualty numbers to previous regimes—as though the loss of Kenyan lives is justified if it’s statistically “less bad.”

On social media, it’s not uncommon to see supporters of government policies wait eagerly for a Tanzanian train to stall, just so they can post the images and excuse our own failure to deliver affordable, modern mass transit. This culture of deflection, enabled by cherry-picked comparisons, is corrosive. It reinforces the notion that Kenya is only expected to clear the lowest bar—and celebrates when we barely stumble over it.

In the global economic arena, such an attitude is not just humiliating—it’s dangerous.

Assertive Diplomacy, Not Appeasement

Kenya is not some fragile economy scrambling for scraps. We are the anchor state of East Africa. We boast a vibrant private sector, cutting-edge innovation hubs, and some of the most skilled young professionals on the continent. Yet, in the face of trade aggression from the United States—disguised in polite diplomatic language—we find our Trade CS excusing the slap on our exports as “not the worst.”

Contrast this with the response of Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’oei, who correctly noted that Kenya must seek a waiver under the rules of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This is the tone we need: clear-eyed, firm, and grounded in Kenya’s legitimate rights under international trade frameworks. Accepting tariffs on the logic that 'others have it worse' sends a message that Kenya can be pushed around so long as the pressure is gentle.

The Mitumba Precedent: A Soft Compromise

This isn’t the first time Kenya has backpedaled under trade pressure. In 2015, the East African Community (EAC) proposed a regional ban on second-hand clothing (mitumba) to protect and revive local textile industries. The U.S. responded by threatening to revoke AGOA privileges if countries went ahead. Rwanda called Washington’s bluff—and lost limited AGOA benefits for its apparel exports. Kenya, on the other hand, backed down, prioritizing short-term market access over long-term industrial growth.

So let’s be honest: Are we being punished for trying to reclaim our textile industry, or are we being forced to remain a dumping ground for goods that kill our local manufacturing dreams in exchange for a few pieces of silver?

Kenya’s choice to remain open to mitumba isn’t about freedom of trade—it’s about fear. And fear has no place in foreign policy.

Enough Begging—Africa Has Options

The broader issue isn’t just Kenya. Africa, for too long, has negotiated like it has no cards to play. Yet we have abundance—minerals, markets, innovation, and moral authority. We don’t need to grovel for respect. We need to claim it.

President Ruto’s early months in office inspired many across Africa. He was outspoken on climate justice, championed financial reform at global platforms, and called for a fairer global order. But somewhere along the way, that mettle faded. Now is the time to bring it back.

He must draw a lesson from unlikely places. Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s unapologetic prioritization of America’s self-interest should serve as a reference—not for tone or ideology, but for strategic decisiveness. Trump did not ask who might be offended—he asked what served his people. President Ruto must do the same for Kenya and Africa.

Continental Unity Is Our Leverage

Only South Africa has consistently shown spine in the face of U.S. pressure—whether at the UN Security Council or in trade negotiations. Kenya can join forces with like-minded partners: South Africa, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso—and build a bloc that asserts Africa’s interests with clarity.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is not just a treaty—it is a lever. It offers Africa the chance to shift from a collection of individual bargaining states to a single, coordinated market of 1.4 billion people. For Kenya, this is a game-changer. It means reduced exposure to erratic bilateral agreements and greater potential for value chain integration across the continent.

For instance, if Kenyan cotton producers partnered with Ethiopian textile mills, and South African retailers guaranteed regional distribution, the entire ecosystem benefits—without a single container crossing the Atlantic. AfCFTA enables exactly this sort of synergy.

But to realize it, Kenya must invest not only in infrastructure but also in regional political will. The 'Africa Rising' narrative cannot remain rhetorical. It must translate into action—into road and rail integration, harmonized trade policies, and shared legal frameworks.

Regional Partners Are Moving—Kenya Must Keep Up

Rwanda, having stood firm against U.S. pressure on mitumba, is now reaping long-term benefits with investments in local textile production and “Made in Rwanda” branding gaining traction.

Tanzania is investing heavily in industrial parks like the Benjamin Mkapa SEZ and accelerating investment court reforms to attract African capital, not just Western FDI.

Ethiopia, despite political instability, has built the Hawassa Industrial Park into a textile powerhouse that’s exporting globally—and is negotiating regional logistics and energy agreements to keep costs competitive.

If Kenya is to remain relevant, it cannot wait for comparisons. It must lead.

Applying Theory: The Case for Neorealism

In the field of international relations, Kenya would do well to borrow from the neorealist school of thought, which posits that states exist in an anarchic global system where power and self-interest dictate survival. Under neorealism, national sovereignty and strategic leverage become central—states must act to protect their autonomy, economic independence, and security, regardless of moral appeals or global consensus.

Kenya should abandon the illusion of benevolence from powerful nations and instead prioritize its strategic positioning. The U.S. tariffs are not a moral judgment—they are a transactional calculation. Kenya must respond in kind, asserting its role not as a subordinate ally, but as a regional power with alternatives. Whether through AfCFTA, South-South cooperation, or bilateral diversification with BRICS nations, Kenya must put its interests first—not defensively, but decisively.

From Reaction to Ambition

Kenya must not be a country that reacts to pressure by pointing fingers or finding comfort in the failures of others. We must be a nation that sets ambitious goals and meets them unapologetically.

The beggar’s cloak must go. We are not poor. We are not weak. And we are certainly not disposable.

We are a proud, capable nation. It is time our diplomacy, our trade strategy, and our leadership reflected that.

Gem Musings is a seasoned International Relations and Public Affairs Strategist with extensive experience in global diplomacy, communication, and policy analysis.