President Uhuru Kenyatta and Pope Francis during their private meeting at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City on November 6, 2020.
What you need to know:
- The two delegations discussed several subjects of mutual interest among them education, health, regional peace and security as well as the fight against Covid-19.
- Also discussed was Kenya's role in regional peace and security, especially in South Sudan, where Pope Francis is personally involved.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has kicked off an official tour of the Vatican City with a meeting with Pope Francis and discussions on matters including the Covid-19 pandemic and the Catholic Church's investments in Kenya's health and education sectors.
President Kenyatta, who is in Rome at the invitation of Pope Francis, is making history as the first Kenyan Head of State to visit the Vatican.
After a formal State reception following his arrival in Italy on Thursday evening, President Kenyatta met privately with Pope Francis and then led a Kenyan delegation that included Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo in talks with hosts led by Cardinal Bishop Pietro Parolin.
Cardinal Bishop Parolin is the Secretary of State of the Holy See and runs the Secretariat of State and Diplomatic Service of the Vatican City State.
The two delegations discussed several subjects of mutual interest ,among them education, health, regional peace and security as well as the fight against Covid-19.
President Uhuru Kenyatta during his tour of the Vatican City on November 6, 2020.
The Catholic Church is one of Kenya's foremost development partners especially in the education and health sectors.
In education, the Church runs 7,740 schools (31 per cent of all schools in the country), and manages 220 vocational institutions, five colleges and a university.
In healthcare, it is the largest non-state provider of services with close to 500 health facilities spread across the country.
The Kenyan delegation sought the Church's enhanced participation in Kenya's education, training and health sectors in support of the government's Big 4 Agenda amid the ongoing roll-out of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
Also discussed was Kenya's role in regional peace and security, especially in South Sudan, where Pope Francis is personally involved.
Kenya's stature as a guarantor of regional peace and stability is set to rise in the coming months as it takes up its non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Kenya's key role
In an interview ahead of President Kenyatta's arrival in Rome, Kenya's envoy to the Vatican, Prof Judi Wakhungu, said President Kenyatta's rare audience with the Holy Father signifies the high regard Pope Francis places upon him.
Kenya established diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1965.
Over the years, the country has hosted four Papal visits - 1980, 1985, 1995 His Holiness the late John Paul II) and November 2015 (Pope Francis).
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the global head of the Catholic Church and the sovereign of the independent Vatican City State.
"This visit is extremely rare as it is not usual for the Holy Father to have an audience with just any Head of State. He values the role our President is playing in very many aspects," the envoy said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta arrives at the Vatican City for his meeting with Pope Francis, November 6, 2020.
Prof Wakhungu, who also serves as Kenya's envoy to France, further said Kenya is an attractive partner of the Holy See because of its impressive profile as a regional peacemaker and the country's growing influence as it prepares to occupy its seat on the UN Security Council.
"We expect the Holy Father and President Kenyatta to compare notes and strategies on Kenya's important role in the UN Security Council," Prof Wakhungu said.
She added that the President and the Pope would discuss Kenya's response to Covid-19 especially the role that the Vatican is playing in assisting Kenya with its response through its many health facilities in the country.
She also highlighted post-Covid-19 economic recovery strategies as well as the deepening of the Catholic Church's investment in Kenya's education and training sector.
A reception mounted for President Uhuru Kenyatta upon his arrival at the Vatican City for his meeting with Pope Francis, November 6, 2020.
Extensive tour
President Kenyatta and his delegation arrived in Italy on Thursday and were accorded a full Apostolic Palace State reception, which included a guard of honour by the Swiss Guards.
Pontifical Swiss Guards are an army of 135 highly trained marksmen drawn from Switzerland and with protecting the Pope and guarding the Apostolic Palace.
The colourfully attired soldiers are devoted Roman Catholics who form the world's smallest army.
Mr Kenyatta, who is a practising Roman Catholic, was taken on an extensive guided tour of the Holy City including the history-rich Papal Basilica of St Peter.
Mr Kenyatta, who arrived in Italy on Thursday evening aboard a Kenya Airways aircraft, is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on his Italian counterpart Sergio Materrela on Saturday.
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