This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
On August 5, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya embarked on a historic State Visit to Jamaica, where he held bilateral talks with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
The two leaders met at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston and witnessed the signing of four agreements, including Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on technical cooperation in tourism, sports, culture, and heritage, as well as a framework of cooperation between the two governments and an MoU on political consultations.
During their talks, President Kenyatta and PM Holness discussed plans to introduce air transport connections between Kenya and Jamaica, which they believed would lead to increased economic interaction and growth for both countries.
President Kenyatta emphasized the importance of deepening trade and commercial ties between Kenya and Jamaica, stating that Kenya serves as a hub for logistics and transport, financial services, and ICT innovations.
He encouraged Jamaican investors to come to Kenya and explore opportunities in these sectors.
The two leaders also discussed ways of strengthening cooperation between Kenya and Jamaica in the blue economy, which they said holds tremendous potential for wealth and job creation.
As part of the agreements signed, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center will open its first satellite centre in Nairobi, based at the University of Nairobi.
Kenya and Jamaica will also cooperate in sports development, particularly in athletics, a sport in which both countries are global icons.
PM Holness noted that Kenya and Jamaica have had strong ties since the days of Marcus Garvey, whose teachings of African unity had a significant impact on Kenya's push for independence in the 1960s.
