China Threatens to Impose Trade Sanctions on Kenya over Ban on Chinese Fish

China Threatens to Impose Trade Sanctions on Kenya over Ban on Chinese Fish

China has threatened to impose trade sanctions on Kenya over a directive issued by President Kenyatta banning fish imported from China.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Li Xuhang describes the ban as a "trade war", warning that his country will respond in the same way it did when US President Donald Trump introduced similar policies.

Among the options China is considering against Kenya over the ban is withholding funds meant for completion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu, Daily Nation reports.

The deal for this stretch of the SGR project was expected to be signed when President Uhuru traveled to China in September but was delayed, with China citing a hostile internal environment in Kenya, especially negative press reports and attacks from politicians.

Kenyatta is expected to return to China next month to sign several bilateral trade agreements.

A few weeks ago, the President directed government officials to use every means including tricks to ensure Chinese fish does not enter Kenya. This was after local traders complained that cheap fish from China has affected their businesses.

The threats by China come after the Department of Fisheries said no fish from China will be allowed to enter Kenya from January 1st, 2019.

"This is to notify you that all fish import applications for Oreo chromis niloticus Tilapia will not be approved in the country with effect from January 1, 2019," reads the letter.

Comments

Godhavemercy (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 10:02am

I told you so. This was coming sooner or later. Uhuru is going to be pushed around by these creditors. You can't put your eggs in one rotten basket. China is definitely blackmailing Kenya and there is nothing you can do about it. Very dangerous development.

Ufisadi (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 10:05am

No let’s see how much leverage the master has in his slave. No reason to import contaminated and sometimes fake fish from Ching. No wonder cancer is Gaia foothold in Kenya

Anonymous UI (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 10:14am

Uhuru, we cannot destroy our citizenry in the name of infrastructure. Stop the Chinese from continuing with the SGR and let our fish farmers thrive and be able to feed and care for their families. Find the funding from within not without. As for the negative publicity, Let it continue as long as it's the truth. Kenyans are free to talk and publicise how they are being treated in their own country by the Chinese or any other foreignor. Kenyans are not slaves. It's not an emergency to continue with the SGR. Kenya should be ready for the sanctions. Mr President, Uhuru, do no destroy what Kenyans have. Kenya should not allow an outsider to do what it is capable of doing and especially in terms of food. What if the foreigner in feeding Kenyans decided to poison them? As for this issue, Kenya needs to trend carefully.
God give Kenya leaders not politicians. God help Kenya!!

YoungKenyan (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 11:01am

Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes it’s laws - Rothschild

China controls the money. Who cares about the law makers and the president. If you have ears then you can hear what I’m saying.

Mugikuyu (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 12:04pm

Kenya has been reduced to a slay queen by China which has taken the role of sugar daddy. Pathetic. Are we going to eat poisonus food from China because we need infrastructure? We need a healthy nation moving forward not one riddled with cancer cases. Let's get our priorities straight here.

Rahab Waithira (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 12:27pm

Let them do what they can do!. Let our wananchi benefit from the fish industry and other trades. We are hard working citizens and can do much if the government stand with us and do away with the enemy corruption. This Chinese have no respect for us, let stands with our own feet even if it means harambee to clear their debt.

Anonymous UI (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 01:18pm

It is now clear that as a country,we are being sacrificed at the altar of infrastructure by China. Why can't we made our own roads almost 60 years since independence? Does anybody know?

mkenya halisi (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 04:51pm

Can this guys commenting here make sure they pay taxes in kenya that way we don't have to be borrowing heavily for infrastructure.Only about 2million kenyans out of 45m who pay taxes n yet ur busy yapping yapping here.Tulipe ushuru tunjitegemee wakenya wenzangu.Chinese thinks kenya is a stupid country watakipata.Wr waiting for that bill which is going thru parliament to pass about chinese to leave jobs which can b done by locals then they will b kicked out mosmos.China Fish is done thanx to uhuru n many more us coming.Sgr inanjilipa itself nawakikata kuendelea from naivasha to kisumu through private public partnership waondokee mosmos.Chinese don't start to disappoint us coz going back to the west,world bank imf sucks.

Kenya (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 09:42pm

In reply to by mkenya halisi (not verified)

@mkenya halisi, almost everybody who lives in Kenya pays tax. How comes you do not know that. When you buy stuff in the stores you pay a certain tax. When you buy air time you pay tax, Banking,land and the list go on and on.

Jamama (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 05:27pm

Very soon you will start seeing Chinese fish in the shops and markets. He suffers from an inferiority complex when facing non-blacks.

Imara Daima (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 06:34pm

Hakuna urafiki baina ya panya na paka. Mwishowe panya huliwa na paka. "Justice exists only among equals" Anonymous

SMART (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 09:40pm

Chinese fish....lord have mercy kwani Lake victoria hakuna samaki....and the fishermen around lake Victoria and lake naivasha will have jobs...Jeso Uhuru.....!!!!

SMART (not verified)     Wed, 10/31/2018 @ 09:42pm

Chinese fish....lord have mercy kwani Lake victoria hakuna samaki....and the fishermen around lake Victoria and lake naivasha will have jobs...Jeso.... Uhuru..what are doing to kenyans...!!!!

Kangol (not verified)     Thu, 11/01/2018 @ 01:26pm

Well, Kenyans don't eat the chinese fish. Am sure it's clearly packaged in a funny transparent plastic zipped bag. You can survive , I never ate a fish until I went to live in NRB. You can eat chicken and mbuzi from trusted sources.

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