This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On December 11, 2019, Kenya took a significant step towards strengthening ties with the Caribbean region by announcing plans to host the first-ever conference between African Union member countries and CARICOM nations.
The conference, scheduled to take place in Nairobi next year, aims to foster closer relationships between Africa and the Caribbean, with Kenya positioning itself as a key bridge between the two regions.
President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados at State House, Nairobi, where they witnessed the signing of two agreements between Kenya and Barbados.
The agreements included a Memorandum of Understanding on Health, allowing Kenyan universities to partner with Barbadian institutions in training medical students, and an agreement to avoid double taxation.
PM Mottley expressed her desire to see Kenya Airways operate flights to Barbados and onwards to North America, aiming to deepen the relationship between the two regions.
She emphasized the importance of youth exchange programs, citing the twinning of Kenyan schools with similar institutions in Barbados to promote cultural understanding and education.
President Kenyatta welcomed the visit, describing it as historic and the first by a Barbadian leader to East Africa.
He pledged to champion close links between Africa and the Caribbean, with plans to sign an air services agreement to facilitate direct flights between the two countries.
