Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Dr. Alfred N. Mutua, today co-chaired the Kenya-United States Strategic Bilateral Dialogue with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Washington DC. The meeting covered five intense sessions on trade and investments, health, food security, climate change, and regional peace and security.

One of the significant outcomes of the bilateral session was the United States’ commitment to set up a framework that will enable Kenyans to apply for jobs in the United States and speedily obtain visas to work there. This move will create job opportunities for Kenyans and reduce visa processing waiting times at the Nairobi embassy.

The United States also pledged to support Kenya’s universal healthcare program, with a focus on epidemic control, vaccine and pharmaceutical production, and HIV/AIDS medication. The deal with Moderna to set up a vaccine production factory in Kenya is a significant boost for the country’s healthcare sector.

In terms of food security, the United States committed to facilitating Kenya’s sustainable food production through water harvesting programs, value addition technology, and agribusiness technology. This move will encourage Kenyan youth to embrace farming and reduce the country’s reliance on food aid.

The United States is also one of Kenya’s valued partners in stabilizing the region for peace and security. The two countries discussed several security and defense partnerships aimed at ensuring regional stability.

Kenya’s Bottom-Up “hustler” economic model was acknowledged as a fantastic and viable model, with discussions held on partnerships in supporting youth programs, empowering SMEs, and growing wealth. The country is open for business, with various incentives that are second to none. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement presents an opportunity for Kenya to be used as a hub for reaching the 1.3 plus billion African market.

The meeting covered over 50 specific issues that were discussed and agreed upon. Kenya is the only African country with this Strategic Bilateral Dialogue with the United States, and the US is viewed as a great friend and partner.

INVESTMENTS

Kenya is open for business, is the message I gave to the American government. We held deliberations with the US Commerce department on how to entice American investors to Kenya. We were updated on US programs that can support American businesses to come to Kenya.

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— Dr. Alfred N. Mutua (@DrAlfredMutua) April 25, 2023

Kenya-United States Strategic Bilateral Dialogue was a significant milestone in strengthening the relationship between the two countries. The commitments made by the United States will go a long way in supporting Kenya’s economic growth and and bottom-up development agenda. The opportunities presented by the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement are immense, and Kenya is well-positioned to take advantage of them.