President Uhuru Kenyatta and Melinda Gates, wife of United Stated Billionaire Bill Gates, have agreed to work together to strengthen three sectors in the Kenyan economy.
During the meeting held at State House, Nairobi, President Kenyatta and Ms Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, agreed to work on a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) plan with a focus on services that matter to women.
Through their partnership, the government and the Gates will look to expand the foundation's existing support of Kenya’s health system, which already includes some technical assistance to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
[caption caption="President Kenyatta and Melinda Gates"]
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"My Government has prioritized the attainment of UHC as a key development goal. A healthy nation is key to shared prosperity. Our shared vision around the importance of women and girls underpins this commitment to partner with Melinda Gates and her Foundation to help accelerate progress. I welcome the opportunity to deepen this partnership," President Kenyatta stated.
Melinda Gates, on her part, applauded the inclusion of health as a focus in President Kenyatta’s ambitious "Big Four" agenda, including the country’s delivery of free maternal health care.
[caption caption="President Kenyatta, Melinda Gates, and other officials at State House"]
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“It’s wonderful to see the health of women and girls prioritized as part of Kenya’s broader development agenda. As a foundation, we have seen evidence that strong primary health care services are the basis of a sustainable UHC system and we believe our discussion today will help set the path for us to grow our partnership with Kenya," Melinda Gates noted.
The two also agreed to work on improving the agricultural sector in the country which is key to food security and nutrition.
Ms Gates thanked the President for his leadership in the sector, acknowledging his role as an agricultural development champion in Kenya and beyond.
Lastly, they also reflected on how the government and the foundation could support tech start-ups in Kenya.
She was in Kenya to launch 'Pathways for Prosperity: A new Commission on Technology and Inclusive Development' as well as visit partners in the country.
[caption caption="President Kenyatta, Mrs Gates and government officials"]
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This is Melinda Gates’ second trip to Kenya in a span of two years.
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