• President Uhuru Kenyatta noted Germany committed to supporting Kenya through the Kenya-German Initiative to promote youth employment.
• Under this initiative, three centres of excellence have been established in which the two countries will co-finance.
Image: PSCU
Kenya and Germany on Monday announced cooperation in vocational and higher education.
The announcement was made in a joint address by visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta in State House, Nairobi.
“Mr President, earlier in the bilateral talks you mentioned that you are making further development in your professional training and education for the young people of your country. In that context, we will extend our cooperation to what we in Germany call universities of applied sciences. That is something universities in Germany can share expertise in to help you fulfil the needs of your country,” Steinmeier told Uhuru in his address.
President Kenyatta noted that Germany is committed to supporting Kenya through the Kenya-German Initiative to promote youth employment and transform the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, as well as the blue economy through technical and vocational education training.
“Under this initiative, three centres of excellence have been established in which the two countries will co-finance. Phase one at €26.4 million, and phase two will have four centres at a total cost of € 13 million,” Uhuru said.
According to GIZ, the Kenyan-German TVET Initiative was launched in early 2017 as part of the new priority sector referred to as Sustainable Economic Development – Promotion of Youth Employment and TVET.
It aims at promoting the establishment of centres of excellence for cooperative technical and vocational education and training.
Among the MoUs signed include the Financial and Technical Agreements, Increased Employment and Industrial Competence in Kenya as envisioned in the strengthening of the education sector, as well as on increased trade and investment in Kenya.
Uhuru said there are over 100 German companies in Kenya but there exists more scope for a deepening of partnership between the two states.
“Germany is Kenya’s fourth-largest trading partner, and we would want to see the trading between our two countries also increase,” Uhuru said.
President Steinmeier is in Kenya for a five-day visit. He is the most senior German government official to tour Kenya since Chancellor Angela Merkel visited in 2011. He last visited Kenya five years ago as foreign minister.
He arrived at JKIA on Sunday evening accompanied by a delegation comprising politicians, business leaders, members of the civil society as well as culture and sports.
Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo, EAC’s Adan Mohamed, MFA’s Europe director Simon Nabukwesi and German Ambassador to Kenya Annett Günther received him.
Steinmeier said the visit was long overdue because Germany was the first country to recognise Kenya after it gained independence in 1963, its embassy in Kenya thus carries the number plate 1 CD.
“Kenya and Germany have had good and amicable relations in the spheres of politics, the economy and culture for the last six decades. That is why I am accompanied on this trip by prominent representatives from the world of politics, the business community and civil society who are engaged in Kenya,” the President said.
Areas the delegation will be looking into, he said, include climate change, the spread of digital technology and innovation drives.