Trade, Investment and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria now wants China Square to stop operations in the Kenyan market.
The trade CS revealed this through his Twitter handle saying that talks with Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina are underway for the varsity boss to buy out the lease for the retailer currently trading at Unicity Mall along Thika Road and hand it over to local traders.
“I have today given an offer to Prof Wainaina the VC Kenyatta University to buy out the lease for China Square, Unicity Mall and hand it over to the Gikomba, Nyamakima, Muthurwa l and Eastleigh Traders Association,” the CS stated.
The move, he noted, will inhibit the entry of Chinese traders to take up opportunities that would have otherwise been left for Kenyans. The CS also added that Chinese investors ought to operate as manufacturers only and should not trade in Kenya.
“We welcome Chinese investors to Kenya but as manufacturers, not traders.”
China Square is the talk of town and the latest center of attention as it is the newest one-stop mall in the country. It has been gaining major traction from city dwellers and is currently among the most flooded retailer in Kenya.
According to Kenyans who have shopped in the mall, there is a wide range of products and services including stationery, electrical appliances, furniture, makeup and accessories, home decoration items, and cleaning supplies, among many others.
China Square’s entry into the Unicity Mall, which is owned by Kenyatta University, came after a prolonged period of waiting for the mall to have a substantive tenant.
