China through its Embassy in Nairobi has issued a statement on the ongoing dispute adjoining the China Square shopping mall operations in Kenya.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, March 1, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya said that China fully supports strengthening trade relations with Kenya, hence adding that their citizens should be protected while carrying business in the country.
“The Embassy has noted the recent circumstances on the issue of ‘China Square Business Center, and would like to dwell on that the Embassy fully supports the deepening trade and investment cooperation between Kenya and China,” the Chinese Embassy said.
“We hope that the government of Kenya will protect the permitted rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and Chinese citizens, and also create an inclusive and friendly business environment,” The Embassy added.
The situation comes after hundreds of small-scale traders on Tuesday, February 28, staged demonstrations in the CBD of Nairobi over what they termed as a business takeover by Chinese traders.
While demonstrating, the Kenyan traders accused the owner of the business hub investor Lei Cheng, of creating unfavorable competition for them.
In regards to the matter, Kenya’s deputy president Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday, March 1 called a meeting with the Nairobi traders and assured them of the government’s readiness for the outlined solid measures in order to protect their businesses.
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Speaking in Nairobi at Harambee House Annex Gachagua said all the categorized impediments to their businesses are at a top gear point, and his office is always open for any profitable engagement with the business owners and other Kenyans at large.
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The deputy president asked the traders to give the government a chance to significantly look into the matter and come up with inclusive feedback on their problems and challenges in the next three weeks.
The meeting which was called by the deputy president at his office in Nairobi was attended by Cabinet Secretaries Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua, Trade Principal Secretary Alfred K’Ombudo, counterparts Abubakar Hassan Abubakar-Investment and Julius Korir -Cabinet Affairs.
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