State House releases President Kenyattas July diary

State House has released President Uhuru Kenyatta’s travel schedule for the month of July.

The President on Monday travelled to Botswana for a three-day state visit where he is set to hold bilateral talks with his host President Ian Khama.

The two Heads of State will discuss a number of issues including the Tripartite Free Trade agreement, trade and economic ties with the southern African country, industry and manufacturing, mining and tourism.

During the visit the two heads of state will address the 2nd Botswana–Kenya Business Seminar, which aims to exploit existing trade potential between the two countries. President Kenyatta will address the Kenyan diaspora in Botswana before returning to Nairobi.

On his return, the President will host the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, during his three-day State visit to Kenya starting July 4, 2016.

Among the issues to be discussed is how to expand and deepen the Kenya-Israel relations and promote cooperation in security and defense, agriculture and particularly irrigation and investments.

This will be followed by a visit by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be in the country from July 10 to July 11 as part of the Prime Minister’s four-nation tour of Africa that will also take him to South Africa, Mozambique and our neighbor Tanzania.

The two Heads of State will seek to explore how to strengthen existing links between their countries, particularly with respect to trade.

Kenya and India have cooperated for years in the health field and a number of projects will be looked at in this area including the setting up of a cancer hospital in Kenya by the Indian government where it will provide doctors and equipment and the Kenya Government provides premises.

President Uhuru Kenyatta will then attend the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union due to be held on July 17-18 in Kigali, Rwanda.

It is expected that the President will host a summit of nations participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on July 16, also in Kigali.

During that time, His Excellency the President will also attend the Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting of Heads of State & Government after Kenya was elected into the council during the January 2016 Assembly.

The African Union Commission (AUC) elections are also scheduled to take place during the July, 2016 Summit. The AUC Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is not seeking re-election with the seat of the Deputy Chair Erastus Mwecha, who is completing his second term, also falling vacant.

From July 17 to July 22, President Kenyatta will play host to world leaders during the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development conference in Nairobi.

“We are very pleased to be hosting such a prestigious event for the second time in forty years. The event should bring some 6,000 visitors to Nairobi,” said State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu in a press briefing on Sunday.

@benjaminwafula