In pictures: President Uhuru meets Donald Trump at White House

Presidents Trump and Uhuru at White House before the meeting. [Courtesy]

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday August 27 met US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC and held talks on security and trade.

Kenyan First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and her US counterpart, Melania Trump joined the two leaders in the historic talks.

After an hour-long talk, Uhuru and Trump have proceeded to the Cabinet Room while the first ladies proceeded to different rooms.

“Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Kenyatta enjoyed an afternoon together with an open dialogue focused on their common goals and their respective initiatives on behalf of children.  Mrs. Trump’s Be Best campaign and Mrs. Kenyatta’s Beyond Zero Initiative are united under the goal of improving and protecting the well-being of children,” White House said, adding that Melania Trump will visit Africa in October.

Investment deals

Before the meeting, President Uhuru witnessed the signing of two agreements that will see two US companies invest $238million worth of projects in Kenya.

In the first deal: Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic) and Kipeto Wind Energy Company signed documents to close a $232 million deal in financing the construction and operation of a 100-megawatt grid-connected wind power plant south of Nairobi.

The second agreement was a $5 million letter of commitment to expand the distribution network of Twiga Foods and improve food security and agricultural wages in Kenya.

“Kenya is open for business and all we want to do is package our partnership in a way that it is mutually beneficial to you as a private sector and the people of Kenya,” President Uhuru said.

President Kenyatta invited more US investors to set shop in Kenya to benefit from the opportunities created by the Big Four development blueprint projects.

Here are some of the pictures from the meeting.

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What Kenyans stand to benefit

The meeting came at an opportune time for Kenyatta who is looking for partners and funding for his Big Four Agenda and just two months before national carrier Kenya Airways begins direct flights to New York.

The presidents discussed ways of strengthening the blossoming Kenya-US relations focusing on the two nations’ shared democratic values and mutual interests.

Kenya has in the past reaped from US-sponsored multilateral programmes such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) which President Uhuru renegotiated.

More outcomes from the meeting will be updated.

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