We need to quash "No hurry in Africa" myth - CS Kuria

Trade CS Moses Kuria has said there is a need to debunk the myth that "There is no hurry in Africa."

He spoke on Thursday after a meeting with delegates from the East African Community.

The delegates were in the country to participate in the African Union Meeting of the Coordination Committee and Strategic Partners that sought to discuss the African Economic Strategy.

Kuria described the meeting as an 'eye opener' for him.

"This particular gathering spoke to my heart because it shows that a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step," he said.

"We have debunked the myths on Africa being a continent of darkness; centre of disease and it is now time to debunk the myth that"There is no hurry in Africa"."

The CS pointed out that other regions and continents have caught up and are interested in Africa.

He however regretted that Africa is still lagging behind.

"The only way to do this is to establish linkages and bridges within Africa. Our continent is no longer a basket case and we need to exploit it," Kuria added.

He further said the discussion on how to transform Africa required collaboration between the governments and private partners.

In reference to this, the CS said he had informed the delegates’ that Kenya plans to host the TFTA conference in February 2023 and Thee Africa Private Sector Alliance Conference in March.

"I also implored our economic blocs to work with African financial systems to ensure that we as a continent reduce our dependency on hard currency and find a mechanism for our economies to use our currency," he said.

Kuria said when Africa becomes financially stable, business people and investors will follow suit.