Kenya: More diplomatic missions opened, including in Somaliland, says Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho

The PS said another consular office will be up and running in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which is seeking independence from the war-torn Somalia.

Kenyan Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho

By Ally Jamah Nairobi, Kenya:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cited expansion of the country’s diplomatic missions as one of its major achievements in the last one year.

While giving the scorecard of the ministry for the last one year, Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said a full embassy had been opened in Algiers, Algeria, while consular offices have been opened in the Somalia port city of Kismayu that is being controlled by the Kenya Defence Forces.

The PS said another consular office will be up and running in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which is seeking independence from the war-torn Somalia. The ministry was also planning to open new embassies in Morocco, Angola, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, Egypt and Cuba.

Mr Kibicho said the ministry has diplomatic presence in Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo and will open consulates in other major cities of those countries including Lagos, Arusha, Capetown and Goma.

Bilateral trade 

The PS further said the ministry had concluded bilateral trade agreements with Nigeria, China, Angola and Sri Lanka to boost Kenyan exports. He added that the ministry had linked the Kenyan business community with businessmen in Japan, China, Ethiopia and other countries through business-to-business forums. He said the ministry had been able to consolidate Nairobi as an international diplomatic hub that has seen the upgrade of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Kibicho said the ministry had managed to negotiate to have Kenyans placed in key posts in international organisations where they can influence policy for the benefit of the country.

He said the ministry had also established a liaison office to help county governments establish international contacts instead of the devolved units going directly to open offices in foreign countries.

Source: standardmedia.co.ke