‘Madeni tena?’ Shock as President Uhuru Plans another Visit to China, this time with farmers

President Uhuru Kenyatta will lead a delegation of horticultural farmers and traders to China in November this year for the 1st Shanghai Import Expo during which a number of trade deals will be negotiated and sealed.

This was revealed on Thursday during a Cabinet meeting.

Among the agreements expected to be signed at the Expo is the Sanitary and Phytosanitary deal between Kenya and China that will open doors for over 40 percent of Kenya’s fresh produce including avocado, mangoes and cashew nuts into the expansive Chinese market.

The Agreement will also allow for the export of stevia, a sweetener largely grown in the Rift Valley, into the Chinese market.

Another expected outcome of the President’s visit to Shanghai will be the signing of an MOU for the establishment of a trade negotiation working group whose mandate will be to negotiate trade tariffs especially on Kenya’s tea and coffee exports to China as well as explore additional market for the country’s cash crops.

President Uhuru was in China early in September where he witnessed the signing of several public private partnership deals with Chinese investors.

Among the deals signed on the sidelines of the China-Africa Summit was an MoU between the University of Nairobi, Beijing Jiaotong University and Kenya Railways Corporation for the training of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) engineers and managers.

The memorandum was signed by UoN Vice-Chancellor Peter Mbithi and Acting KRC Managing Director Philip Mainga.

Image result for Uhuru in China

Uhuru and Jinping further witnessed the signing of an economic and investment cooperation agreement in which Kenya is to receive a grant of Sh4.5 billion for the implementation of projects involving both nations.

Kenya also secured funding for construction of the Western Bypass in Nairobi which is expected to play a part in easing the city’s world-famous traffic problems.

The road starts from Ruaka and terminates on the Nakuru highway at Gitaru in Kiambu County.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *