NAIROBI, Aug 15 – President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta will leave for state visits to Russia and China on Thursday as part of initiatives by his Jubilee Coalition government to grow new markets.
In Moscow, President Kenyatta will hold discussions with business leaders which will be dominated by Kenya’s emerging role as a new frontier for oil and gas and mineral wealth.
The discussions will also feature Kenya’s drive to open new markets for its traditional exports such as coffee, tea and fresh produce.
Other topics of discussions will focus on new investment areas with growth in innovation and technology.
President Kenyatta will also meet members of the Kenyan athletics team at the World Athletics Championships taking place in the Russian capital.
From Aug 19 to 23, the president will make his first official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese government.
A business delegation of more than 60 people will join the President on his trip while the official delegation includes governors of five counties and some members of both Houses of Parliament.
In China, President Kenyatta will sign framework agreements on a power transmission project for the capital, Nairobi and other agreements on economic and technical cooperation.
He will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on environment protection between China’s Ministry of Environment Protection and Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.
Through these visits to Russia and China, President Kenyatta intends to focus on opening new markets or deepening existing ties in the traditional Indian Ocean Rim and other countries such as Australia and Singapore as well as the BRICS bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
– BERNAMA
