NAIROBI – The intensified diplomatic engagements by President William Ruto is a sign vote of confidence in the Kenya Kwanza government, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said.
Speaking on the occasion of the 247th Anniversary of US Independence in Nairobi, PCS Mudavadi said many heads of state have been engaging with President Ruto, and that “it is unprecedented that Kenya would have an array of visitors of that nature if there was no confidence building in our country”.
“When you hear the American Ambassador say the Moderna is coming to invest in Kenya and launching later this month, that speaks volumes. That should be a measure and signal that hiccups may arise but the level of confidence that is growing in Kenya is significant. That’s a large investment, close to Sh500 billion, the largest single investment in recent years by a private company. So it is a very significant vote of confidence in the government of Kenya,” Mudavadi, who was the chief guest, said at the American embassy.
Moderna is an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that focuses on RNA therapeutics, primarily mRNA vaccines.
Mudavadi added that Kenya will also host a climate summit in September, which speaks volumes on what is going on in the country.
The Africa Climate Summit is being co-hosted by the government of Kenya and the African Union Commission will be held between September 4-6.
Mudavadi further noted that President Ruto himself is at the centre of regional peace initiatives initiatives in Sudan and the DRC, leading the IGAD mediation team to try broker a peace deal in Khartoum.
However, the Sudanese military government of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has rejected President Ruto’s leadership of the “Troika on Sudan” that comprises of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia.
Mudavadi was responding to security concerns posed by recent attacks by Al Shabaab on security forces in Northeastern and Lamu.
He said what happened in Lamu was unfortunate but through the collaborations, the government has been able to forestall many other attacks.
“The US is a very string partner when it comes to security-related matters continuously. Our cooperation with them [US] is necessary, has been very useful, and we can only strengthen it. Kindiki has been visiting the region and making key steps to quell the threats,” Mudavadi said, adding that the Kenyan government reaffirms its desire and commitment to continue working closely with the US to strengthen existing cooperation and historical ties at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
On her part, US Ambassador Meg Whitman said since the 1998 American Embassy bombing in Nairobi, the US and Kenya security teams are closer, more coordinated, and better at deterring terror attacks.
“We continue to fight side by side to degrade the capabilities of al- Shabaab and other terrorist groups. The recent KDF and police casualties caused by IED’s along the border region underscore the need to continue working together to disrupt al-Shabaab operations and ensure the Kenyan people remain safe and secure,” Ambassador Whitman said.
She also commended Kenya’s role in peacekeeping throughout the region, particularly in Somalia and the DRC, Mali, South Sudan, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
“Kenya’s leadership in this regard regionally, and really throughout the continent, is commendable,” she said.
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