Kenyans in London mark Jamhuri Day

Jamhuri Day in London

The cold did not stop more than 100 Kenyans and friends of Kenya from turning up at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, central London to mark the 51st Jamhuri Celebrations hosted by Kenya High Commissioner, Mr Lazarus Amayo and his wife Mrs Nelly Amayo.

This not-to-be-missed traditional event is very popular with British Kenyans who look forward to it every year as it gives them an opportunity to catch-up with their compatriots.

This year’s party attracted the cream of diplomats and Kenyans from many parts of the UK from as far away as north of the British Isles.

The new High Commissioner who took office on 17th November welcomed the guests and promised to work with all Kenyans regardless of colour, religion or political affiliations in order to jointly enhance the image of Kenya and strengthen ties between Kenya and the United Kingdom.

The guest of honour was Liberal Democratic Party Life Peer Lord David Chidgey, Chair of the All-Africa Parliamentary Group, established to raise the profile of African and pan-African issues in the British Parliament.

Lord Chidgey said that relations between Kenya and Britain were very special not only because of the British colonial past but also because of strong trade links.

“Kenya is a favourite destination for external investment and we, in Britain should be part of it,” he said.

Among the many distinguished guests were Sir Jeffrey James, the former British High Commissioner in Kenya, Indian diplomats and Mayor Elizabeth Kangethe of Barking and Dagenham. Ms. Jackline Yonga, the deputy High Commissioner officiated the ceremony.

The guests were entertained by traditional singers, dancers and musicians.

The High Commissioner noted the special role played by Britain’s Kenyan Diaspora to foster strong relationships between the United Kingdom and Kenya.

He said the High Commission would reach out to all Kenyans living throughout the United Kingdom.

All the guests then enjoyed a sumptuous dinner with a variety of Kenyan culinary delights.

As they left the party in the night, the warmth with which all the guests had enjoyed Kenyan friendship and hospitality, gave them little time to complain about the mercury which was dipping as low as three degrees Celsius.

Apart from offering Kenya’s warm hospitality and cultural wealth through music and drama the annual Jamhuri Day party and other Kenyan celebratory events such as the Kenya Society Annual Dinner and Diaspora parties also help to promote our country as a competitive holiday and business destination.

The past few weeks have been very busy for Mr Amayo who is a man on a special mission — to promote the best of Kenya to the United Kingdom.

He was recently a guest of honour at a dinner hosted by Hogan Lovells, one of the largest international law firms in London, which provides a comprehensive range of commercial legal advice to a big multinational client base.

Mr Amayo reiterated his government’s commitment to strengthening trade ties with the UK.

The dinner was attended by senior British executives from firms operating in Kenya. They were drawn from finance, energy, Private Equity, DFIs, and legal sectors.

Mr Amayo re-assured British investors of various initiatives the Government was taking to tackle insecurity.

He reiterated the Government’s commitment to enhance Kenya’s position as a premier destination for UK’s business, investment and tourism.

“We value bonds of friendship that exists between Kenya and UK,” he said, adding that these relations will be strengthened for the mutual benefit of the peoples of the two countries.

His vision is to see these relations move to its highest level possible.

There are glad tidings for Kenyans. Despite security challenges, UK’s investment to Kenya has continued to grow. Official figures show that the United Kingdom is a key trade and bilateral partner for Kenya.

The volume of trade between Kenya and the UK in 2013 was valued at GBP £1.5 billion, comprising trade in goods and exchange of services.

The leading exports were tea, flowers, vegetables and fruits and coffee.

The UK is also the leading source of Foreign Direct Investment into Kenya valued at over GBP£2.2 billion across all sectors of the economy — financial services, manufacturing, agriculture, transport and logistics.

Mr Amayo said the government was working on laying down a robust legal and regulatory framework that will create a conducive business environment for business to flourish in Kenya.

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