This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced that his country would endorse Kenya's bid for a seat at the UN Security Council when a position becomes vacant later that year.
According to President Masisi, Botswana's decision was based on 'trust' that Kenya would support it in other international bids. He made the announcement during a briefing with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House in Nairobi.
President Masisi's visit marked the first time a Botswana head of state had visited Nairobi since he took power in 2018. The visit came against the backdrop of an unimplemented Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2016 between the two countries.
During the visit, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements covering bilateral trade, air transport, and ICT. The agreements included a non-double taxation agreement signed by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma and Internal Affairs and Co-operation Minister Unity Dow for Kenya and Botswana, respectively.
President Kenyatta expressed Kenya's commitment to continued cooperation with Botswana, citing areas such as mineral exploration, livestock breeding, trade, tourism promotion, agribusiness, and manufacturing.
