Wajackoyah explains why Kenya should become a duty-free country
By Aloys Michael, June 18, 2026Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah has renewed his push for Kenya to become a duty-free country, arguing that the move would position the nation as East Africa’s leading economic hub and unlock its full strategic potential.
Speaking during a K24 television interview on Thursday, June 18, 2026, Wajackoyah said Kenya must move away from political rhetoric and focus on issue-driven policies that promote economic growth, investment, and national development.
“We need to demarcate ourselves from rhetoric into issue-based, economic-based, future-based, Kenya-based, duty-free-based,” Wajackoyah said. “
As we are now coming out as Kenyans, Kenya should become a hub of economic activities in this region because of the geopolitical position we hold in the world.”
The former presidential candidate argued that Kenya’s location gives it a unique advantage as a gateway for trade, logistics, finance and investment across Africa and the Middle East.
According to him, adopting a duty-free economic model would strengthen the country’s competitiveness and attract more international businesses.
Wajackoyah pointed to Kenya’s strategic importance in regional security, saying the country already plays a critical role beyond its borders.
“We are the bastions of security in the Middle East,” he stated, emphasising Kenya’s influence in maintaining stability and supporting international security efforts.
He also highlighted the country’s vast maritime resources, noting that the Indian Ocean coastline presents opportunities for innovation, scientific research and economic expansion.
“We have our deep seas that we can actually use and do marine science. We can actually produce technological aspects and research technical things,” Wajackoyah said.
The Roots Party leader maintained that Kenya’s future prosperity depends on leveraging its natural resources, geographical position and human capital rather than relying on traditional political debates.
He argued that a duty-free framework would encourage trade, lower the cost of doing business and attract investors seeking access to regional markets.
His comments come amid ongoing national discussions on taxation, public debt, trade policies and economic reforms. Supporters of duty-free policies argue that reducing import duties and trade barriers could stimulate commerce and make Kenya more attractive to global investors.
Critics, however, caution that such reforms would need to be carefully implemented to avoid reducing government revenue.