When you close someone’s business on charges that every right thinking person knows has everything to do with politics, how do you convince jittery investors to choose Kenya?
The irony is the so called Kenya Private Sector Alliance has not issued a statement on that; yet, when CORD called a solidarity rally at Uhuru, the outfit was the first to ‘condemn’ CORD for creating tension in the country.
The other outfit that is quiet is ‘brand kenya’ board. The country shouldn’t just be branded for the Richard Bransons of this world and their yachts and tented safari camps. A serious branding of Kenya as a tourist and investor destination should include this idea – so self-evident – that an interference with one business is an interference with all businesses.
Let me give you an example. Not long ago the government went after Keroche Breweries. Keroche was accused of every conceivable misdeed but the most creative one was that it was manufacturing poisonous alcohol and illicit brews.
Soon, as the crackdown on illicit brews was going on; hired political goons started destroying Keroche breweries equipment. Some depots were burnt down. Keroche known beer brand -Summit Lager – became part of the ‘poisonous brews’. The company counted its losses. But that was not all.
KRA slapped the company with over a billion tax claim. KEBS significantly reduced the standardization stickers to the company. Keroche’s only mistake was the owner’s close relationship with people seen as political opponents.
This kind of economic sabotage is what has dragged and keeps dragging Kenya backward. It creates poverty.
Seth Odongo.
