President Uhuru Kenyatta's visit to Britain this week is aimed at strengthening the Kenya-UK strategic partnership, Kenya's High Commissioner Manoah Esipisu has said.
Briefing the media in London ahead of the President's arrival, he said the highlight of Uhuru's visit will be his co-chairing of the Global Education Summit with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Esipisu said the aim of the summit, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, is to raise funds for investment in the education of millions of vulnerable children around the globe.
“The target for this fundraiser, effectively, is $5 billion. Most of the money has already been raised over the last few months. The President has been busy talking to fellow heads of state around the world, urging them to put the money where their mouth is," Esipisu said.
He said Uhuru has been urging world leaders to take action to protect their budget for education, to increase their budget for education and to fund specific areas of education that they have previously lagged behind.
Uhuru will be joined by senior members of the Kenyan and UK governments throughout the programme, with side discussions on defence, the environment, foreign affairs, health and finance.
The President will hold bilateral talks with PM Johnson to review other areas of the Kenya-UK strategic partnership that was agreed upon last year.
On Tuesday, Uhuru is scheduled to meet with Johnson for talks at Chequers, his country residence in Buckinghamshire.
The two are expected to jointly announce investments into the Big Four agenda projects on affordable housing, manufacturing and health.
Uhuru will also attend an event at West London’s Kew Gardens to celebrate the Kenya-UK Year of Climate Action and Kenya’s leadership on climate change in Africa ahead of COP26.
He will then be hosted by UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at an event at Mansion House in London’s historic financial district.
The Foreign Secretary is expected to make significant announcements on the UK’s support for Big Four projects in Kenya.
After the meeting with Boris, the two leaders will host the official welcome reception for the Global Education Summit.
Also on the President's to-do list will be discussions on climate change, especially on the Kenya-UK agenda for the forthcoming Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow.
Esipisu pointed out that the strategic partnership is a broad framework for cooperation that covers a wide array of bilateral subjects between the two nations among the trade and investment, and security cooperation among other sectors.
“It does include security and defence. Regional security specifically because we, as Kenya, live in a fairly tricky region. And we collaborate with our partners around the world, including the UK, to deal with these security imperatives,” he said.
Esipisu said that Uhuru will also see the signing of an agreement between the Nairobi International Finance Centre and the city of London.
“These are some of the highlights of the issues the President will be facing, will be dealing with and will be resolving on behalf of the Kenyan people and for the Kenyan people while he is here in the United Kingdom,” he said.
Edited by A.N
