President seeks to reassure West despite Kenya looking East

 

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta arrives at the White House for a group dinner during the US-Africa leaders summit in Washington DC on August 5, 2014. AFP PHOTO | BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI 

By GERALD ANDAE

In Summary

• Kenya, noted the President, has not turned its back on the US and other western countries contrary to rumours around the international arena.
• He said Kenya’s economy was getting more sophisticated and that this maturity was naturally driving the country to extend itself globally, including exploring opportunities in the East to complement its existing partnerships.

Kenya’s trade deal with China has not affected the historic bonds it has with the US and other Western nations, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.

 

Mr Kenyatta said Kenya, like many other countries of the world, was taking advantage of business opportunities in the East and has at no time made a decision to turn away from its traditional allies.

Kenya, noted the President, has not turned its back on the US and other western countries contrary to rumours around the international arena.

“I want to reassure you concerning a rumour going round the international public sphere that Kenya and my government have turned away from the West in favour of the East,” he said.

The President was speaking at a business forum organised by the Bloomberg Foundation, while in America tour where he attended the US-Africa Leaders’ summit in Washington, DC.

He said Kenya’s economy was getting more sophisticated and that this maturity was naturally driving the country to extend itself globally, including exploring opportunities in the East to complement its existing partnerships.

He emphasised that Kenya’s bonds with the US are born of shared values and would not be broken easily.

“These values impelled our independence movements to partner with the US to secure the ideal of freedom from colonialism, racism, exploitation and exclusion, and to pursue the principles of democracy, human rights and free enterprise,” he said.

China’s trading with Africa has surpassed the US, having conducted a partnership trade worth $200 billion in Africa compared to $80 billion by the America last year. In Kenya, China is funding a mega railway project at a cost of Sh327 billion.

The President told US investors to view Kenya as the destination of choice for their business. He said his government was aware of the keen interest and confidence American investors have in Kenya and its future outlook.