This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 23, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Botswana counterpart Eric Masisi addressed the media at State House in Nairobi, marking a significant development in their bilateral relations.
Botswana has announced its support for Kenya's bid to secure a seat at the UN Security Council, with President Masisi stating that his country would back Kenya out of 'trust' that Kenya would reciprocate in other international bids.
"Botswana will vote before Kenya votes itself in. This is out of a desire to further nourish our friendship because we trust you with your willingness to engage with our issues that need broad discussions at the United Nations," President Masisi said during a briefing with President Kenyatta.
The endorsement comes as a result of a visit by President Masisi to Nairobi, a first since he took power in 2018. The visit aimed to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, which have been dormant since a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2016.
During the visit, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements covering bilateral trade, air transport, and ICT. The agreements were 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, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels, to further deepen their bonds of cooperation and friendship.
