Uhuru’s message bold reminder peaceful competition is possible

“Western countries, and their counterparts in Asia and the Middle East, are returned to competition over Africa, in some cases weaponising divisions, pursuing proxy actions and behaving like Africa is for the taking. Well, I want to tell you it is no”

These were words uttered by President Uhuru Kenyatta during a speech delivered at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington DC, the United States of America on Wednesday. The President was addressing the world just a day before his scheduled meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump over a possible business pact between the two countries. Whereas these words present a fairly bullish approach to diplomacy, they are just the words that the world needs to hear, understand heed and implement.

Well, between 1881 and 1914, in the period before colonisation, there was something history recorded as the Scramble and partition of Africa. Some world leaders sat down and divided the continent of Africa among their respective countries before proceeding to brutalise Africans and plunder their resources in the name of colonization. Just over two decades later, there was the Second World War that resulted from some countries wanting to dominate others and which culminated into formation of two global blocks, the axis and the allies.

Luckily the tension brought about the war led to the formation of the United Nations which eventually begun the decolonization of Africa and the birth of the independent republic in the continent.

But it also marked the genesis of the Cold War, an unarmed struggle between the two blocks to outshine each other over their influence of the less antagonistic countries of the world. The blocks fought the war using trade, politics and aid. Under developed countries like Kenya had the unfortunate task as having to choose between the two blocks who to associate and do business with.

And for a long time the world, though not at war, had no peace.

It is this competition for attention between the East and West that President Uhuru was referring to when he spoke in Washington this week.

Uhuru reminded the world that dynamics have changed and this unhealthy competition is not tenable any longer. As a preacher of and believer in peace, the Kenyan President spoke for many African nations which find themselves caught up in ego fights between, especially, the US and the United Kingdom on one side and Asia and China on the other. And because of the disadvantaged position the African countries; they are forced to side with either of the sides at the cost of the benefits that would accrue from neutrality.

For instance, Kenya has lately been doing big business with China especially in areas of infrastructure and culture. The dilly-dallying with Beijing has resulted in big projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway as well as high quality roads in Kenya that we would otherwise not. Despite the rather stringent terms of engagement, the impact of these projects is obvious in the lives of nationals of both countries.

And the US has not been happy with the arrangement. Ironically, the US has a very big portfolio of business deals with the Chinese.

The good thing, however, is that the Americans, too, see the potential benefits of a better working relationship with Kenya and have opened doors to the country. In fact, Uhuru spoke just a day before the Trump meeting in which there was speculation that the United States will seek to negotiate a free-trade agreement with Kenya, in what would be a first with an African nation. The agreement will be more beneficial to Kenya than to the US but it seems Kenyatta was more interested in global peace and harmony than the rather shorter-term benefits of the Free Trade Area arrangement that he was willing to upset the Apple’s cart.

In the seeming bravado, the Kenyan leader simply passed the message that the world can do business together with each country retaining its pride and competitive advantage.

Just like what motivated him before he mooted the world famous handshake between himself and his political opponent Raila Odinga back at home, which incidentally triggered his invite to the States for the current   visit, Uhuru reminded the world that friendly competition devoid of animosity is possible, all for the betterment of the human family.