Nairobi, June 29 -- The US-Iran conflict and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has shown us how modern conflicts spread their effects far beyond the battlefield. Iran's use of the Strait in its neighbourhood as a weapon, and how trade, finance, food, energy and supply chains have become casualties is a big wake-up call for the globalised economy.

The first lesson is that globalisation and reliance on imported goods, which expose you to shocks beyond your control, is risky. It is worse if you have no power to resolve its cause, like in the US-Iran war.

Obviously, Kenya can't and couldn't send its Navy to open the Strait.

Instead, Kenya's response should be to strengthen domestic production of as many strategic goods as possible. In...