Ethiopia Prime Minister, Djibouti President to Visit Kenya

Ethiopia's new Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali and the President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh are expected in Kenya for official visits, State House has announced.

Ali who replaced former Prime Minister Haliemariam Desalegn is lined up to arrive on Sunday for his first  foreign visit since taking office.

“It is the Prime Minister’s first foreign trip since he took office in April of this year, and we feel deeply honoured that he chose Kenya for this,” noted State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu in a statement.

Ali will be received officially on Monday morning at State House, Nairobi where he will hold talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Top of the agenda will be economic partnerships and finding lasting solutions to security challenges in Somalia and South Sudan.

[caption caption="Ethiopia Prime MInister Abiy Ahmed Ali"][/caption]

In his recently delivered State of The Nation (SoTN) address, Uhuru spoke out against foreign powers believed to be the United Arab Emirates (UAE) whom he accused of eroding gains made by AMISOM in the Somalia conflict.

“Therefore, the leaders are likely to review how the implementation of the Special Partnership Agreement is progressing, and possibly agree on how to accelerate that,” Esipisu revealed.

Djibouti President Guelleh, on the other hand, is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, May 9th.

“On May 9 and 10, President Kenyatta will welcome the President of the Horn of Africa state of Djibouti, His Excellency on the second State Visit of the week. This visit is to bolster bilateral relations between the two countries,” the statement read in part.

According to State House, the talks will revolve around cooperation in trade, livestock management, vocational training, promotion and protection of investment and exemption of visa for holders of diplomatic and service passports. 

[caption caption="Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh"][/caption]