On Tuesday, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga addressed an Igad roundtable and emphasised the need for inter-Africa trade.
Raila, the AU representative on infrastructure, said the eight Igad countries could unlock huge economic potential through regional infrastructure and trade.
Raila is absolutely right. Africa is a sleeping giant, largely because its countries prioritise trade with the developed world over their continental neighbours.
Kenya is as guilty as any other country. The East African Community is theoretically a single market but Kenya and its other members all impose non-tariff trade barriers. Kenya and the EAC pretend they want free movement of goods and labour but do everything to block it.
This week, it was predicted that sugar prices will jump by 30 percent in Kenya because government has slashed the Ugandan export quota from 90,000 tonnes to 19,000 tonnes. Yet it is only the elite who will benefit when they get awarded sugar import licences. The masses will have to pay more for their sugar.
So let's not try to run before we can walk. Let's first fix the East African common market before pursuing grand dreams of intra-African trade.
Quote of the day: "I am too busy to die."
Hastings Banda
The Malawian President died on November 25, 1997
