President William Ruto On Thursday, October 13 bade farewell to the Ambassador of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to Kenya just four weeks after he denounced the country.
During the event, the Head of State acknowledged the cooperation between Kenya and Sahrawi. He further pledged to step up the partnership in fishing, mining, agriculture and tourism.
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a country in North Africa that controls parts of the Western Sahara region.
The government of Kenya allowed SDR to establish a diplomatic mission in the country in 2014.
However, Nairobi's diplomatic ties with the country remain uncertain over its denunciation by Ruto after he was sworn into office.
In September, Kenya was embroiled in a diplomatic tiff with Morocco after Kenya's Head of State recognized the Sahrawi Democratic Republic in a tweet that was later pulled down without explanation.
It all begun after the president met with Sahrawi President Brahim Ghali at State House.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs defended the President and instead reversed the decision by Ruto to disregard SADR as a sovereign state.
Kenya through a statement from Foreign Affairs stated that its position on the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is fully aligned with the decision of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to admit (SADR) to its membership on 22nd August 1982, and the A.U Charter which calls for the unquestionable and inalienable right of a people to self-determination.
Additionally, Kenya stated that it does not conduct its foreign policy on Twitter but rather depended on highly classified Government documents.
On Thursday, October 13, the president also bade farewell to Egypt’s ambassador to Kenya Khaled El Abyad whose tour of duty has ended.
Ruto who also received credentials from newly appointed ambassadors of Turkey, Italy, India and France stated that Kenya was keen on furthering diplomatic ties with the countries for the benefit of the people.
He also recognised Japan’s contribution towards infrastructure development in Kenya. The President lauded Japan for its technical capacity building through scholarships and the promotion of Foreign Direct Investment into Kenya.