Enhance UK-Kenya ties

What you need to know:

  • Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo has confirmed that her UK counterpart’s visit is meant to reaffirm and promote that pact.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s current visit to Kenya should go a long way in reaffirming the two countries’ commitment to forging closer ties and co-operation despite the former’s exit from the European Union (EU). It should, indeed, calm any apprehension about the Brexit aftermath.

London has reassured its long-term African allies that nothing is changing on that front. In fact, the message is that there is going be an escalation of ventures for mutual benefit.

Kenya and Britain enjoy cordial relations that date back to the colonial period and enhanced through the Commonwealth, a grouping more of equal partners as independent states.

Mr Raab has come bearing some good news, indeed. He has delivered a shot in the arm of the programme for the construction of affordable housing for Kenyans, which is one of the pillars of President Kenyatta’s ‘Big Four Agenda’. The other Big Four pillars are food security, manufacturing and universal healthcare.

The United Kingdom has provided Sh8 billion as part of the funding for the construction of 100,000 affordable housing units for low-income earners. Also in the visiting minister’s bag of goodies is Sh7.2 billion for the mitigation of climate change effects.

Britain is also collaborating with Kenya in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and terrorism, both of which pose serious challenges that require substantive funds to stem.

After Brexit, Kenya and the UK now have a five-year strategic deal to continue co-operation in trade, the development of education and counter-terrorism. Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo has confirmed that her UK counterpart’s visit is meant to reaffirm and promote that pact.

However, as Kenya and the UK strengthen their ties, our links with the EU should be similarly enhanced. The relations with the UK and its former EU partners should be anchored in the pursuit of tangible benefits for Kenya.