Comesa split on Kenya’s quest for sugar protection favours
Workers arrange bags of sugar at Mumias Sugar Company store in Western Kenya on September 28, 2018. Kenya’s sugar industry faces a critical decision as Comesa’s two-decade-old protection measures near expiry.
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) member states are split on the continuous protection granted to Kenya's sugar sector limiting duty-free importation of the sweetener from the regional bloc as the clock ticks towards the expiry of the seventh window of the safeguard measures next month.
This comes as Nairobi mulls on the partial reopening of its sugar sector to duty-free imports from Comesa, on the grounds that the country has achieved “significant” progress in sugar production, though still not sufficient.
