Kenya Business Sector Itch Towards Formation of a Statutory Business Chamber

The Kenya business sector has resolved to work together towards a unifying voice in their dealings with government and with each other. The resolution was reached at a stakeholder workshop held Monday to input into a draft policy leading to creation of a statutory business chamber. 

The envisaged statutory body will coordinate private sector engagement with government on matters of mutual interest. Such an outfit will fall into the category of the independent COTU, and legal and accountant professions that exist by virtual of statutes and are not under government control.

There has been push and pull between national and sectorial business associations over the necessity of such a statutory body for business. 

Addressing the gathering, the Principal Secretary (PS) State Department for Investment (SDIP), Abubakar Hassan Abubakar urged national Business Membership Organisations (BMOs) in Kenya to focus on what they can achieve collectively rather than as desperate and competing entities.

The PS told a gathering of 60 national business representatives in Nairobi that it is in their interest to have a unifying voice in their relationship with government rather than relate as adversaries amongst themselves. 

SDIP through the World Bank supported Kenya Jobs and Economic Empowerment (KJET) Project is undertaking numerous policy and statutory reforms for an enabling business investment environment. 

“We recognise all business associations; however, the government will offer much better facilitation to business if it heard and spoke to an apex entity formed and recognised by all business,” said Abubakar adding that;

“The voice of business is muzzled and distorted when there’s no unanimity on either policy or legal interventions that business want government to institute.” 

Addressing the gathering at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) on Monday, Abubakar cited disputed business laws since 2017 that have resulted in multiple amendments as a result of contestation amongst business associations. 

He said the idea of an overarching business statutory body came from the private sector itself and government is only offering technical support for a policy to gird eventual legislation. 

“There may be fears that government wants to exert control on business. We have no such ambitions. Ours is to facilitate you to create jobs for Kenyans. Why would we plot to kill the hen that lays the golden egg?” the PS rhetorically asked the meeting.

The meeting ended with the resolution to include more private sector members in the Technical Working Committee (TWC) so as to generate wholesome stakeholder views included in the final policy.