Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and his US counterpart Donald Trump have agreed to bolster tourism, trade relations and improve security, especially in the Horn of Africa.
Speaking on Monday during a bilateral meeting at the White House, President Kenyatta said the US has been instrumental in the fight against terrorism and seeks to partner with it in streamlining other sectors.
“We have had very strong and excellent cooperation with the US in security and defence, especially in the fight against terrorism. Most importantly, we are here looking to enhance our partnership in trade and investment,” President Kenyatta said in Washington, DC.
DIRECT FLIGHTS
President Trump said Kenya and the US will continue to work together to grow their partnerships in trade, investments and security.
“We do a lot of tourism; we do a lot of trade and defence. And we are working very hard to improve security right now. We appreciate very much your being with us here,” President Trump said.
The two leaders also discussed the benefits of direct Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to New York, which will commence in October.
They cited the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) as one of the key initiatives whose effect will be enhanced through the milestone.
President Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret were formally received by Mr Trump and his wife Melania at the White House in Washington, DC at 2.00pm (9pm in Nairobi).
After discussions in the Oval Office, they were joined by their delegations for bilateral talks in the Cabinet Room.
INVESTOR CONFIDENCE
The First ladies also held talks in the Diplomatic Reception Room in the West Wing of the White House.
President Kenyatta is now the third African president to be invited by President Trump after Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari in April this year.
Earlier, Mr Kenyatta had met businesspeople and under the umbrella body Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), and signed investment deals worth billions of shillings.
He boosted their confidence to invest in Kenya to help him achieve the ‘Big Four’ development agenda.
