Kenyan business community gets involved in resolving crisis

Source: AP

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The economy in what had been the region's powerhouse is also suffering, with ports idle, stocks plummeting and tourists fleeing.

«This is where history teaches us some things ... in places that have kind of experienced this, it was the business community, and through their strength, that stood up and forced ... people to come together,» said Steve Smith, chairman of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, which has been meeting Kibaki and Odinga to get them to peacefully resolve the dispute.

Kibaki, who has business interests in farming, hotels and retail shops, and Odinga, an industrialist who owns the country's leading manufacturer of cylinders, have welcomed the Kenyan business community's efforts.

During a meeting with Kenya Private Sector Alliance delegates, according to his press service, Kibaki pledged «to take all the necessary measures to ensure that both local and international investors recover from the losses they made as a result of the current political situation.

. . .

The organization also estimates that businesses will lose up to 266 billion shillings (US$3.6 billion; ¤2.5 billion) over the next six months, even if Kenya's crisis is resolved immediately.

Read more: http://www.pr-inside.com/kenyan-business-community-gets-involved-in-r413050.htm

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Sure there is death, fear and destruction. But basically business men are saying enough already, we are losing money here.

Lives lost.. no problem.

Money now..

I wouldn't have as much disdain for them as I do now. They waited until they determined how much the loss of income was going to hurt before getting involved.

These days all politicians listen very closely to their business community and the situation probably would not have deteriorated so much if the business community had stepped in close to the beginning of the mess.

They could have been seen as the good guys saving lives. Now all they are doing is trying to get guarantees the government will reimburse them for their loss of profits.