Kenyan and US presidents pledge to strengthen bilateral ties

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his US counterpart Joe Biden spoke by phone on Thursday, vowing to strengthen ties between their countries.

The themes addressed by the two leaders were the economy, peace and security, climate change, human rights, and the humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa, according to press releases from the Kenyan and American governments.

Joe Biden underscored Washington’s continued commitment to work closely with Kenya to support regional peace and security there, including in the United Nations Security Council, the White House said in a statement.

“The president applauded Kenya’s leadership in the Horn of Africa and its commitment to the fight against terrorism, economic growth, the fight against climate change, and sustainable development,” the statement said.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and “the need to prevent further loss of life and ensure humanitarian access,” the White House statement added.

Kanze Dena Marrero, the spokesperson for Kenya’s presidential palace, said Kenyatta expressed full confidence in the ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between Kenya and the United States, which would help to further strengthen the strong economic ties between the two countries.

Kenya is the United States’ fourth-largest trading partner in Africa. The two countries launched negotiations on a free trade agreement in July 2020.

“President Kenyatta thanked his American counterpart for the support Kenya continues to receive from the United States in areas such as health, economy, security, and governance, and assured President Biden of his strong will Kenyan government to continue to work closely with the new US administration, ”Kanze Dena Mararo said in a statement.