Uhuru gifts Burundi President Ndayishimiye 50 cows

President Uhuru Kenyatta has gifted Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye 50 cows on the first day of his state visit ahead of the Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.

Step by step, side by side, the two heads of state are captured on camera chatting happily as they inspect the healthy Friesians at the Kisumu State lodge grounds.

In a video clip, President Uhuru is heard saying, “you are most welcome, they say a promise is a debt."

President Evariste Ndayishimiye and first lady Angeline Ndayubaha Ndayishimiye were officially received by President Uhuru and first lady Margaret Kenyatta at State Lodge, Kisumu.

President Ndayishimiye is in the country on a two-day state visit and is the chief guest at the Madaraka Day celebrations.

Upon President Ndayishimiye’s arrival, the two heads of state led their respective delegations in bilateral talks and had a joint press briefing.

“We appreciate so much the role of Kenya in the peacekeeping initiative in Burundi and facilitation of trade through the port of Mombasa,” president Ndayishimiye said during the joint press briefing.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has gifted Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye 50 cows. [Willy Lusige, Standard]

Through her official Twitter account, Margaret Kenyatta said that she had a meeting this afternoon with her Burundi counterpart and discussed issues of women empowerment, maternal and child health.

Statehouse had earlier reported that the two first ladies, together with Raila Odinga’s wife Ida Odinga and Kisumu county first lady Dorothy Nyong’o are expected to have a side project.

President Uhuru said that Ndayishimiye was the first head of state to be received in Kisumu.

This is the first time the Burundi  President is visiting Kenya after his inauguration ceremony on June 18, 2020.

President Ndayishimiye won the election after the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza on June 8, 2020.