President Uhuru Heads to South Africa for a Three-Day State Visit

President Kenyatta is on Monday expected to travel to South Africa for a three-day State visit.

Kenyatta’s visit, at the invitation of his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, is geared towards strengthening the existing ties between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Ramaphosa will welcome President Kenyatta at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the official seat of the South African government.

In a press briefing ahead of Kenyatta’s arrival in Pretoria, High Commissioner Catherine Muigai Mwangi said memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on migration matters, tourism, and diplomatic consultations will be signed during the high-level bilateral meeting on Tuesday.

“The MOUs form the framework within which Kenya and South Africa will work together in some of these areas,” she said.

The diplomat says the MOU on migration will be a precursor to establishing a visa-free regime for Kenyans traveling to South Africa.

President Kenyatta and his host will also preside over a joint Kenya-South Africa Business Forum to explore new areas of economic, trade, and investment cooperation. About 100 Kenyan business leaders are expected to attend the business forum.

“This is a big opportunity because trade and trade-related matters as well as investment are of great importance to both countries. This is an area that we are looking forward to strengthening, deepening, and indeed cementing,” the high commissioner remarked. 

Kenyatta is also expected to visit Aspen Pharmacare, the South African-based subsidiary of Aspen, a global multinational pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccines.