Kenya: Host of the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference

16 August 2015 - Kenya is set to host the 10th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in December in the country's capital city of Nairobi. While peace prevailed in July during the visit of the president of the United States and the Global Entrepreneurial Summit - cohosted by the US Government - the steady pace of violent attacks in and near Kenya by the Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab raises timely security questions about hosting 161 WTO member delegations, NGOs, and press in Nairobi. What did the hotel bombing in July in the Somali capital of Mogadishu teach the Government of Kenya about the motives and evolving capability of Al-Shabab? Can the Government afford the event, much less the security? How, if at all, has Al-Shabab used the advance notice of the event to plan potential disruptions?

In today's Viz of the Day, we provide contextual data on security conditions in the region, the Kenyan budget, and how Kenya stacks up as an international player in terms of trade composition, ease of doing business, and the basic quality of life of its citizens.

Violence & Crime     Economic Conditions     Social & Political Indicators     Business & Tourism