Eritrean President in first visit to Kenya since 2018

Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki has today arrived in the country for the start of his two-day tour.

Afwerki who is set to hold talks with his host President William Ruto is accompanied by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Presidential Adviser Yemane Ghebreab.

He is in the country on an invitation of the President who toured the nation in December three months since he was inaugurated.

Afwerki was received by Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale (Defence) and his Foreign Affairs counterpart Alfred Mutua.

According to Mutua, the visiting head of state will hold bilateral engagements on a variety of areas of cooperation between the two countries.

"I have this morning received the visiting President of the State of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki. The President is in the country for a two-day official visit where he is expected to meet his host for bilateral talks between our two countries," Mutua said.

Isaias last visited Kenya on December 15, 2018.

The visit by Ruto was a result of renewed ties after a diplomatic tiff a few years ago.

In 2011, Kenya accused Eritrea of supplying weapons to Somali-based al Shabaab militants.

A Kenyan presidential jet was reportedly turned away mid-flight in 2015 as it neared Eritrean airspace.