Thursday 14 March 2013

Uhuru Kenyata ICC drive us to China

President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta II's administration is on a roll. And what a turnaround for the ICC yoke that was cleverly transformed into political jet fuel. Add that to the West's moody response to Uhuru's presidency which is unwitting handing over Kenya to the Chinese. The word in the streets and on many people's lips is that the Chinese will or may dutifully fill the void left behind by the Americans, British and other European establishments, yes and not really. While the March 4th, 2013 general election may just have been completed, Kenyans should not throw caution to the wind but be very wise enough not be carried away by their next course of action. It is therefore incumbent upon winners, losers and their various supporters to heed the ancient warning that is still relevant to our country's specific sociopolitical and economic situations: Fear the Chinese, even those bearing gifts of infrastructure development on a massive scale, cheap affordable goods, and promises of unaccountable shippments of tons and tons of contraband. Simply put,there is ain't no such thing as a free lunch, especially bowls of warm and cozy noodle soup from the Chinese government, corporations, businessmen, individuals, and common street vendors. Red dragon loans Lest we forget, there is always a very hefty hidden cost involved when dealing with Chinese government and Chinese merchants of the so-called affordable goods and services, and where very few or zero questions are asked. Most of the recent gunshot partnerships - that being fronted as corporations between equal partners - involving China and African countries like Kenya, the type that do not have well defined and real in-built legal checks and balances, may come back to haunt the unsuspecting recipients, or gullible African political leaders. Further, the real premium attached to doing business with China may end up costing many African nations, including Kenya, a lot more they seem to have alredy bargain for in the first place. For instance, the sovereignty of the African countries involved in business with China may end up being compromised and in worst case scenarios, held hostage in form of billions and billions of 'run-away dragon loans' and massive debts that may take up to four to five decades in order to be repaid by the next generations of Africans. So, Kenyan political leaders and the concerned citizenry, beware of the modern day Chinese Greeks bearing tantalizing business deals, contracts, aid, easy solutions and gifts that may sem handy at the moment.

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