While commending the Ethiopian leaders for the progress in their country, President Uhuru Kenyatta said Kenya was keen on participating in the planned regeneration of Addis Ababa into a modern African city.
“Our African capitals belong to all of us. Addis Ababa belongs to Kenyans just like Nairobi belongs to Ethiopians. We therefore need to partner in the transformation our cities,” he said.
“It doesn’t make any sense for fellow Africans to keep spending our hard earned money in other people’s countries when we can develop our cities to world class standards. Kenya will participate in the modernisation of Addis Ababa by sending a team of entrepreneurs.”
PM Ahmed thanked President Kenyatta for agreeing to be part of the Addis Ababa modernisation project and said all countries in East Africa should work on regenerating their capitals.
While recalling the hospitality she enjoyed in Nairobi while serving at the United Nations before assuming her current position, President Zewde thanked President Kenyatta and Mr Ahmed for rekindling the countries’ relations.
Ms Zwede termed Kenya Ethiopia’s true friend, citing visa-free travel for Ethiopian citizens as a true demonstration of this.
Earlier on Saturday, President Kenyatta accompanied the Prime Minister to the opening of Debre Birhan Industrial Park in the Amhara region during celebrations to mark the Victory of Adwa.
Every March 1, Ethiopians celebrate the defeat of the colonial Italian forces in 1896, by warriors led by Emperor Menelik II, near the town of Adwa in the Tigray region.
The park, built on 1,100 hectares of land at $75 million, will help create jobs for about 1,000 Ethiopians.
Ethiopia is planning five similar installations to increase the number of industrial parks to 30, the goal being to make the country a manufacturing hub and improve the lower-middle-income economy by 2025.
