Uhuru in India for sustainable development summit

President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Ahmedabad, India, Tuesday morning for a two-day state visit that will be preceded by his attendance of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

President Kenyatta was received at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport by senior Indian Government officials and the Kenyan High Commissioner to India, Amb. Florence Weche.

The President – who is the chief guest at the 8^th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit – is scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before he addresses the summit.

The central focus of the Summit is “Sustainable Economic and Social Development”.  The forum brings together Heads of States and Governments, ministers, leaders from the corporate world, senior policy makers, heads of international institutions and academia from around the world to further the cause of development and promote cooperation.

While in Ahmedabad, President Kenyatta will also hold talks with chiefs of Industry of some of the leading companies in India including Tata (the largest manufacturer in the Indian automotive industry), Infosys (the global leader in technology services and consulting) and Torrent Pharmaceuticals.

On Wednesday, President Kenyatta will be in New Delhi where he will meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and lead the Kenyan delegation in bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi and his delegation.

The main areas of the bilateral talks will include collaboration in trade, healthcare, manufacturing, security, defence and Information, Communication and Technology.

President Kenyatta is expected to drum up support for Kenya as an attractive destination for Indian investors especially in the area of healthcare, a sector in which India is a major player and an industry in which Kenya is keen to attract partners.

After the talks, Kenya and India are expected to sign a number of agreements that will further boost the existing mutual cooperation between the two countries before President Kenyatta and Prime Minister Modi hold a joint press conference.

President Kenyatta will later meet Indian Vice President Hamad Ansari and also address a Kenyan diaspora meeting.

The President is also scheduled to attend a Kenya-India business forum.

President Kenyatta’s State Visit to India follows a similar visit by Prime Minister Modi to Kenya last year that saw the signing of seven deals, including the $15 million (Ksh 1.5 billion) Line of Credit Agreement to IDB Capital Limited for development of small and medium enterprises and the $29.95 million (Ksh2.99 billion) Line of Credit Agreement to upgrade the Rift Valley Textiles (Rivatex) factory.