This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
June 29, 2019, marked a day of swift reactions from Kenya and Tanzania following xenophobic statements by Kenyan legislator Charles Njagua Kanyi, aka Jaguar. The MP for Starehe in Nairobi was arrested on Wednesday over public statements he made the previous day, calling on foreign traders to leave Kenya or risk forcible removal.
Mr. Kanyi's statements, which included a 24-hour ultimatum for Kenya's interior minister to deport Chinese workers and foreigners doing business in his constituency, sparked widespread condemnation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regretted Mr. Kanyi's abuse of freedom of speech to dehumanize foreign communities.
As the region prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the East African Community's revival, Mr. Kanyi's sentiments raise poignant questions about the bloc's progress towards social and economic integration. The actions of some governments in the region speak louder than the words of a reckless politician, and Mr. Kanyi's utterances fall into a well-established pattern.
Periodically, the business community has to live with economic xenophobia, where a member state can choose to block select goods from another state. Kenya and Tanzania are still trying to unravel longstanding trade disputes, while Ugandan goods still lack access to the Rwandan market.
Condemning the inflammatory statements of individuals is not enough; citizens need to see governments translate policies promising economic freedom and mobility into action.
