This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Kenya on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.
Wang Yi was received at Mombasa International Airport by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amb. Raychelle Omamo, who welcomed him to the country.
The Chinese Foreign Minister's visit is expected to focus on the implementation of the outcomes of the 8th Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Ministerial Conference held in Dakar, Senegal in November last year.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi, Wang Yi's mission in Kenya will also involve consultations with Nairobi to 'dovetail new measures for practical China-Kenya cooperation'.
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Foreign Minister and the Kenyan leadership are set to deliberate on the support needed to help the country in the fight against the deadly pathogen and the realization of economic recovery post-COVID at an early date.
During his visit, Wang Yi is expected to pay a courtesy call to President Uhuru Kenyatta and participate in a Ministerial round-table meeting with CS Omamo and other Cabinet Secretaries.
He will also pay a courtesy call to President Kenyatta at Statehouse, Mombasa before proceeding on a tour of the new Ksh 40 billion oil terminal, being constructed by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC).
The visit provides an opportunity for the two countries to enhance bilateral relations by signing agreements and further cement the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership between Kenya and China.
On Thursday, President Kenyatta and the Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister are scheduled to inspect the progress of ongoing works at the new Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT).
The new KOT is an off-shore facility located at the Port of Mombasa, opposite the existing Kipevu Oil Terminal, with a capacity to accommodate three ships concurrently with a capacity of 200,000 tons each.
The terminal will effectively replace the old Kipevu Oil Terminal situated on the mainland Port Reitz, which was built in 1963 to serve the then East Africa Oil Refinery (EAOR) which later became the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL).
