Kenya’s full
plate of Chinese
imports
By NEVILLE OTUKI,
[email protected]
Kenya is on course to a bigger
import bill for Chinese consumer goods such as fish,
phones, tyres and cement
amid growing concerns that
the mountain of products
being brought in could stifle
performance of the local
industries.The Asian giant is
the only country whose annual
exports to Kenya have crossed
the Sh300 billion mark,
cementing its position as the
largest supplier of East Africa’s
largest economy.
Imports from China hit Sh320
billion last year, up from Sh248
billion in 2014 – representing a
29 per cent growth, according
to the Kenya National Bureau
of Statistics (KNBS) data.The
import growth trend is expected to continue this year based
on the latest half year data
even as the world’s most populous country’s economy
falters back home, forcing it to
turn to foreign markets such
as
Kenya.China’s
phones
exports to Kenya rose to Sh2.8
billion in the year to June compared to Sh2.4 billion in a similar period last year.
Mobile handsets topped the
list of items that local traders
ordered from China last year,
underlining the popularity of
the low-priced smartphones
despite some concerns about
quality.The KNBS data shows
that China’s fish exports to
Kenya grew to Sh80.6 million
in the year to June compared
to Sh78.5 million in a similar
period last year.
Local diners
Kenya’s appetite for Chinese
fish imports hit Sh1 billion for
the full year of 2015, meaning
the figure could grow even
further this year based on the
half year quantities. The Asian
country also targets local
diners with smoked fish as well
as dried and salted varieties.China stepped up its shipment of cheaper tyres to
Kenya in the review period to
serve price-sensitive motorists. The KNBS data shows that
Kenya imported tyres worth
Sh2.8 billion from Beijing in the
first half of the year, up from
Sh2.5 billion in a similar period
of 2015 and Sh1.8 billion in
2013.While the low-priced
tyres have been pocket-friendly to motorists, local
manufacturers remain the biggest losers as their margins
continue to shrink.Kenyan
manufacturers have recently
raised the red flag over the
uncontrolled flow of Chinese