President Kenyatta on Monday held bilateral talks with the new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali at State House in Nairobi.
Abiy arrived in the country on Sunday evening ahead of his two-day state visit to Kenya. The two heads of state discussed how to strengthen the historical ties laid down for the two countries by the two nation’s founding fathers Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Emperor Haile Selassie.
“Kenya has always considered Ethiopia to be a brother. We have collaborated from before independence where Ethiopia played a leading role in supporting Kenya gain independence,” said President Kenyatta during the talks.
President Uhuru said the special links between Kenya and Ethiopia, in areas such as defense, made sure that the two countries have maintained a cordial relationship despite living in a region known for turbulence.
“It is worth noting that this is the highest level of bilateral cooperation that Kenya has with any country. I note that the inaugural session of the binational Commission was held here in Nairobi in June 2016,” said President Kenyatta during the meeting also attended by Deputy President William Ruto.
However, Uhuru noted that despite the two countries agreeing to cooperate in several areas, some of the agreements signed have taken long to implement.
“The general implementation of the agreement remains slow and the envisaged benefits unattained. In this regard, I wish to call for a renewed drive to ensure its effective implementation, by introducing clear timelines and deliverables in our implementation strategies,” said President Kenyatta.
He commended the setting up of the One-Stop Border Post in Moyale which is complete on the Kenyan side and 95 per cent complete on the Ethiopian side, saying it will facilitate easy movement of goods and people between the two nations.
“On the development of essential infrastructure projects such as roads and railway to help facilitate smooth movement of people and goods, I wish to inform that the upgrade of the Isiolo-Moyale road to bitumen standard is complete, providing a vital link between the Port of Mombasa to the border at Moyale, and onward to Addis Ababa,” said the President.
On his part, PM Abiy echoed President Kenyatta’s sentiments and assured that Ethiopia was committed to advancing ties with Kenya.
“We have held talks and agreed to focus on our historical ties that our forefathers built for us,” said the PM.
“We are not proud of what we have been doing over the years and we have to achieve more.”
Also on the agenda of the discussions was the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor Project (LAPPSET) and the implementation of the Power Purchase Agreement under which Kenya would import up to 400MW from Ethiopia per year.
