Uhuru Kenyatta said the Following:
I have arrived in Eldoret where my Deputy William and I will will be receiving Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the Eldoret International Airport this afternoon. The Nigerian President will be in the country for a 3-day State Visit. We will then proceed to the 9th Kenya Rifles, Moi Barracks, Eldoret where we will be joined by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud. The Somali President is already in the country after having been received by my Deputy earlier this morning. At Moi Barracks we will attend a special inter-denominational service to celebrate the lives of our gallant soldiers fallen in Somalia. Tomorrow we will hold private talks, before a bilateral meeting at State House, Nairobi. Kenya and Nigeria enjoy warm and cordial relations. Kenya and Nigeria concluded an Agreement for the establishment of a Joint Commission for Cooperation in July last year. The Agreement established a framework for enhancing Trade, Tourism, Education, Energy, Agriculture & Technical cooperation. In 2014 Kenya and Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding on oil and gas matters. This MOU provided a platform for Kenya to learn from the Nigerian expertise and build capacity in oil exploration. Kenya and Nigeria have also established an active Joint Business Forum. This has expanded room for further engagement including an MOU launching the Kenya-Nigeria Agro-business Forum. Another MOU was signed between the Benue State Chamber & Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry in January, 2015. Warm trade relations between Kenya and Nigeria have also enabled a number of Nigerian companies to set base in the country. These include GZ Industries, which has invested in a can-manufacturing facility in Kenya. The Dangote Group, which is in the process of setting up a cement factory in Kitui. Others include Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank of Africa and Eco-Bank. Business between Kenya & Nigeria has also enabled Kenya Airways to operate 6 flights to Lagos & 3 flights a to Abuja per week. These are the areas of cooperation that President Buhari’s visit to Kenya is expected to bolster.
