Uhuru in Barbados for Africa strategy talks

President Uhuru Kenyatta is in Barbados for talks with Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma on Thursday confirmed through a post Twitter that President Kenyatta had safely arrived in Barbados having completed his visit in Jamaica.

According to Mrs Juma, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Mottley will discuss ways of deepening bilateral relations, strategies for African common prosperity and cooperation in multilateral issues.

The president will also participate in a Caribbean Heads of Government meeting at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, a dinner and a cultural evening hosted by the PM.

Mr Kenyatta, who is on an official visit to Caribbean countries, will be in Barbados from August 7 to August 9.

He instructed Kenya’s Ambassador in Cuba Anthony Muchiri, who is also the envoy to Jamaica, to divide his time equally between the countries he serves.

Speaking during a meeting with the Kenyan diaspora in Kingston, Mr Kenyatta said Mr Muchiri will devote more time to support the Kenyan diaspora in Jamaica and work to create more opportunities for Kenyans in the Caribbean nation.

“The government is here to support you and create more opportunities for Kenyans and also show opportunities existing for Jamaicans in Kenya,” he said.

President Kenyatta, who was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Amb Monica Juma (Foreign Affairs), Najib Balala (Tourism) and Amina Mohamed (Sports), said Kenya and Jamaica have a lot in common and can learn from each other.

“No matter the distance between our lands we are all one people,” said President Kenyatta as he called on the diaspora community to be good ambassadors.

“Be like a torch which shines the path for other Kenyans and be the mirror that Jamaicans can look into to see who Kenyans are,” said the President.

The president said Kenya is keen on reinvigorating its ties with Jamaica, which thrived during the days of the struggle for independence from colonialism.

“Let us strengthen the bonds of shared values. We can create great linkages in areas like tourism and athletics,” said the President.