This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta met with the Kenyan diaspora in Kingston, Jamaica, one of the most dynamic countries in the Caribbean. The President's visit marked the first time a Kenyan head of state had visited Jamaica.
During his meeting with the diaspora, President Kenyatta emphasized the importance of Kenya's ties with Jamaica, citing the shared values and commonalities between the two nations. He noted that Kenya and Jamaica have a lot in common and can learn from each other, despite the distance between their lands.
President Kenyatta also called on the Kenyan diaspora in Jamaica to be good ambassadors, urging them to be like a torch that shines the path for other Kenyans and a mirror that Jamaicans can look into to see who Kenyans are.
The President's visit to Jamaica was part of a broader effort to reinvigorate Kenya's ties with the Caribbean nation. In 2019, Kenya and Jamaica signed several agreements, including 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.
President Kenyatta's visit to Jamaica was also marked by the launch of celebrations to mark the International Decade of People of African Descent, which was unveiled as Jamaica marked its 57th independence anniversary.
