Browsing: Kenya Association of Manufacturers

Kenya Association of Manufacturers calls for economic recovery plan

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers urged the government of Kenya to urgently address the way to economic recovery following the immense effects of the pandemic.

This was said during the launch of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) 2021 Manufacturing Priority Agenda (MPA), themed “From surviving COVID-19 to thriving: Manufacturing sector rebound for the sustained job and investment growth”.

Speaking during the Agenda launch, Mr Mucai Kunyiha, the KAM chair said that the economic recovery highly depends on the goodwill and full commitment from the government.

He explained that “Efforts to enhance our productivity are hampered by the increasing cost of doing business and low competitiveness. Some of the issues that contribute to this are regulatory overreach high cost of energy, transport, and logistics costs. To resolve these headwinds, it is paramount that the government and its agencies strongly commit and demonstrate goodwill to securing the future of our country’s …

Africa removing barriers to trade (world Bank)

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a free trade area which was founded in 2018, has seen the agreement take effect in January this year.

AfCFTA was created by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement among 54 of the 55 African Union nations. Now Kenyan manufacturers have urged government and relevant agencies to urgently address gaps in trade facilitation following the commencement of trade under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This was during a webinar on the status of implementation of AfCFTA, hosted by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in partnership with National Trade Facilitation Agencies, including Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Kenya Trade Agency (KenTrade).

Speaking during the session, KAM Chair, Mr Mucai Kunyiha, recognized the challenges and opportunities in AfCFTA.

According to the world bank, the AfCFTA presents a major opportunity for African countries to bring 30 million people …

The Dandora dumpsite in Nairobi, Kenya. Manufacturers in Kenya have embraced PRO even as the US is bulldozing Kenya to rescind the plastic ban. www.theexchange.africa

Manufacturers turn PRO as US bulldozes Kenya over plastics

In August this year, Kenyans and conservationists everywhere were up in arms after it emerged that the US was arm-twisting Kenya to rescind its tough stance on plastics.

The decision was by the American Chemistry Council which has lobbied the US government during the Covid-19 pandemic to use a US-Kenya trade deal to expand the plastics industry’s footprint across Africa.

According to Greenpeace, documents obtained by Unearthed, it’s investigative journalism platform, show that the same lobby group, which counts Shell, Exxon, and Total among its members, also lobbied against changes to the international Basel Convention, which put new limits on plastic waste entering low and middle-income countries.

Read: KAM, CGK partner to manage post-consumer plastic waste in Kenya

Already, 34 out of 54 countries have adopted some form of regulation to phase out single-use plastic.

Plastic waste management in Kenya

Greenpeace …

A section of Elgon Kenya workers receiving food hampers. This is one of the way of Salvaging Kenya’s flower sector hard hit by the covid-19 coronavirus. www.theexchange.africa

Desperate times call for desperate measures and with Kenya’s flower sector hit hard by covid-19, it is time that the country sought ways to maintain relationships with its key markets.

The first gesture by the Kenya flower sector has been to send some 300 bouquets to the United Kingdom in what was called “solidarity with covid-19 frontline combatants” in a campaign dubbed Flowers For Hope.

Kenya’s national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) flew the consignment on Friday night last week in a move set to keep the flower market open for business when the coronavirus pandemic passes.

The flowers to be distributed to those in the frontline of combating the pandemic including doctors, nurses and recovering patients and care homes were in sleeves inscribed with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s goodwill message.

Kenyatta’s message read, “There have been a few moments in history when the world has faced a crisis as far-reaching …