Tag: Joe Biden

Meeting at the White House, Biden and the Kenyan president promised to work together on climate change and ending violence on the Horn of Africa, although there appeared to be no headway on Kenya’s hopes on a trade deal.

Biden announced that the United States would immediately donate another 17 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the African Union, on top of 50 million doses already sent.

“As a continent we are lagging well behind the rest of the world in terms of being able to vaccinate our people,” Kenyatta told Biden in the Oval Office.

“So any additional support like the president just mentioned is greatly welcomed and we look forward to that continued partnership,” he said.

Biden has vowed a leadership role for Washington on vaccines at a time that infections remain stubbornly high in parts of the United States where people refuse widely available shots.

Most of sub-Saharan Africa has vaccination rates in the single digits, at the mercy of foreign donations due to the lack of indigenous production and prohibitive costs of mass purchases.

Kenyatta is the first African leader to visit Biden’s White House amid a slowdown of travel and summits as a Covid-19 precaution.

“I’m committed to further elevating our ties with Kenya and nations across Africa as a whole. But Kenya is the key,” Biden said.

‘Doing a good job’ 

Biden has promised a new focus on democracy after the courting of autocratic leaders by his predecessor Donald Trump — who also made no secret of his lack of interest in Africa.

Long seen as a pillar of stability, Kenya was wracked by political violence including after 2017 elections but Kenyatta has since made peace with his once-bitter rival Raila Odinga.

Kenyatta, who has vowed to fight corruption, came days after the Pandora Papers investigation which found that Kenyatta, together with six family members, owned a network of 11 offshore companies, one valued at $30 million.

Biden did not address the allegations during the brief appearance before reporters but called for “strengthening financial transparency” and praised Kenyatta’s record.

“I want to thank you for your leadership in defending the peace, security and democratic instincts of the region and your country,” Biden said. “You’re doing a good job.”

Aligned on climate, shift on trade

Kenya is the current president of the UN Security Council and in that capacity as pushed to end fighting in neighbouring Ethiopia, where hundreds of thousands of people are facing extreme hunger.

Kenya is a longstanding US security partner, working closely in another neighbor, Somalia, in combatting Al-Shabaab jihadists.

Kenyatta said he was speaking to Biden about the “fight against terrorism” but also about climate change, ahead of a high-stakes UN conference in Glasgow next month.

“Our country, our continent is the least in terms of emitting but pays the highest price,” Kenyatta said, welcoming Biden’s commitment on climate change since taking over from Trump.

Kenyatta also made a pitch on trade. The Trump administration began talks with Kenya on a free-trade deal; little progress was made but Biden has shown scant sign even of restarting talks amid a growing domestic backlash against big-ticket accords.

Trade “is vital not only in terms of further entrenching American interests on the continent but also in helping us achieve our social-economic agenda,” Kenyatta said.

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Biden administration would be “working closely” with Kenya on trade but acknowledged: “We are thinking through how we approach foreign trade.”

Kenya is worried as the landmark African Growth and Opportunity Act, which lets sub-Saharan nations with good governance export without duties to the vast US market, is set to expire in 2025.

(AFP)

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday made history by becoming the first African Head of State to be hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House since the American leader took over office in January this year.

At the historic meeting, President Biden announced a US Government donation of 17 million more Covid-19 vaccines to the African Union.

“And we’re continuing our shared fight against Covid. The United States has donated 2.8 million doses of vaccine to Kenya as part of the 50 million doses we’ve donated to the African Union (AU).

“And I’m proud to announce that—today, that we’re making an additional historic one-time donation of 17 more million doses of J&J vaccine to the AU, and we’re going to be sending some more of these by the end of the year to Kenya,” President Biden said.

President Kenyatta thanked the American Government for the continued assistance to Kenya and the African continent in the fight against Covid-19, and welcomed the additional donation of 17 million doses to the AU noting that Africa was struggling to access adequate vaccines.

“Let me also take this opportunity, through you, to thank your government and the people of the United States. During this very difficult time, the United States has done its best to step up in terms of not only helping Kenya, but the African continent in general, with regard to access to vaccines.

“I’m happy to hear your new announcement of that increase, because as many of you will know, as a continent, we are lagging well behind the rest of the world in terms of being able to vaccinate our people.

“So, any additional support, like the President (Joe Biden) has just mentioned, is greatly welcomed, and we look forward to that continued partnership,” President Kenyatta said.

Besides Covid-19, the leaders also discussed the global fight against terrorism, climate change as well as trade and investment among other subjects of mutual interest to Kenya and the US.

On the war against terrorism, President Kenyatta applauded the US for being a strong partner for Kenya.

“We’re also very closely partnering, especially in regard to the fight against terrorism globally. The United States has been a very strong partner to Kenya in that particular fight,” he said.

The Kenyan leader said his country had made tremendous progress in climate change adaptation and mitigation, and welcomed the US back to the Paris Agreement.

“We are also keenly very grateful with his strong position, especially with regard to climate change. This is an area where Kenya has made tremendous progress in her own right and where we are firmly committed to the Paris Agreement, and we’re glad to see the United States has now rejoined,” President Kenyatta said.

He said Kenya was keen on deepening its trade and investment relations with the US by investing in partnerships that promote American business interests while advancing the country’s socioeconomic transformation agenda.

“Keenly also wanting to engage, as we have been already, with the President on the issue of trade and investment between our two countries. This, I believe, is vital not only in terms of further entrenching American interests on the continent, but also in helping us also achieve our socio-economic agenda,” President Kenyatta said.

On his part, President Biden hailed Kenya’s steadfastness in safeguarding regional stability and advancing democracy saying the Kenya-US partnership was key in addressing global peace and security challenges.

“And, you know, the US-Kenya strategic partnership is essential—we both, I think, believe is essential to addressing key regional and global challenges.

“And I want to thank Kenya for your thank you for your leadership in defending the peace, security, and democratic instincts of the region and your country. You’re doing a heck of a job,” President Biden said.

The White House meeting was a culmination of President Kenyatta’s successful official visit of the US during which he chaired his first United Nations Security Council meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York.

President Kenyatta was accompanied to the White House by Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs) and Betty Maina (Trade) as well as Trade PS Johnson Weru and Kenya’s Ambassador to Washington Lazarus Amayo.