President Uhuru Kenyatta is today evening set to begin a three-day State Visit to South Africa.
In a statement, the President’s State visit, at the invitation of his host President Cyril Ramaphosa, is geared towards deepening the existing mutually beneficial ties between Kenya and South Africa.
On Tuesday, November 23, Kenyatta will be hosted to a formal welcome ceremony by Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the official seat of the South African Government.
Also Read:
Briefing the press in her office in Pretoria ahead of President Kenyatta's arrival, Ambassador Catherine Muigai Mwangi said the highlight of the visit will be a bilateral meeting at the Union Buildings where some memoranda of understanding (MOUs) will be signed to anchor the engagement of the two countries in a number of areas.
“It is indeed an exciting visit for both Kenya and South Africa. We have an excellent programme for His Excellency, the President.
“Of course the highlight of the visit will be his meeting with the President of South Africa, His Excellency President Ramaphosa, at a bilateral meeting which will be attended by both principals and their delegations,” Amb Mwangi said.
Mwangi pointed out that MOUs on migration matters, tourism and diplomatic consultations are some of the key diplomatic instruments that are expected to be signed at the Tuesday high-level bilateral meeting.
Besides the bilateral meeting, President Kenyatta and his host will also preside over a joint Kenya-South Africa Business Forum to further explore new areas of economic, trade and investment cooperation.
Amb Mwangi said about 100 Kenyan business leaders are expected to attend the business forum.
“This is a big opportunity because trade and trade-related matters as well as investment are of great importance to both countries. This is an area that we are looking forward to strengthening, deepening and indeed cementing,” Amb Mwangi said.
Uhuru will also visit the Aspen Pharmacare, the South African-based subsidiary of Aspen, a global multinational pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccines.
