Photo Courtesy Tuko

President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in the Elysee Palace on Thursday, July 1, where he was received by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron The two leaders held bilateral and multilateral talks with Uhuru giving the progress of the expansion of the 233-kilometre Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Road Uhuru was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo, James Macharia and Kenya's envoy to France Judi Wakhungu

President Uhuru Kenyatta has been received by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron after his arrival in the European nation for bilateral talks. Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in France on Thursday, July 1, for bilateral talks. Uhuru arrived in Elysee Palace on the morning of Thursday, July 1, months after his last visit to France where he signed a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement worth KSh 160 billion.

In a statement from state house, Uhuru and Macron discussed several bilateral and multilateral subjects of mutual interest to Kenya and France key among them the expansion of the 233-kilometre Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Road whose construction is set to kick off in September 2021.

William Ruto Promises Policies to Boost Funding for Start-ups, Small Businesses "Presidents Kenyatta and Macron discussed enhanced cooperation in the health sector particularly in building Kenya's capacity to manufacture vaccines locally," the statement indicated. On the multilateral front, the two leaders spoke about the forthcoming Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Summit in London to be co-hosted by Uhuru and United Kingdom prime minister Boris Johnson.

The Kenyan head of state was accompanied to Elysee Palace by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo, her infrastructure counterpart James Macharia and Kenya's envoy to France Judi Wakhungu.

Uhuru's tour in 2020 In October 2020, Uhuru also toured France where he signed three bilateral agreements. Among the agreements reached is a public-private partnership (PPP) for the construction of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway signed between KeNHA and Vinci Concessions.

The highway is one of the largest PPP projects in Eastern Africa. Others were agreements for the development of the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) commuter railway line and the 400KV Menengai-Rongai electricity transmission line.  By Racheal Nyaguthie Tuko