Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye is scheduled to arrive in Kenya on Monday for a two-day state visit, the first by a Burundian leader in over a decade.
According to a State House announcement, Burundian President and First Lady Angeline Ndayubaha will join President Uhuru Kenyatta in Kisumu, western Kenya, on Tuesday to participate in Madaraka Day celebrations as a Guest of Honour.
The trip will underline Ndayishimiye’s continuous openness, a policy that contrasts with that of his predecessor, Pierre Nkurunziza, who died last year without traveling abroad in five years.
On his previous visit to Dar es Salaam, Nkurunziza was the target of a coup attempt.
Ndayishimiye has already undertaken four international travels, including a state visit to Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania, and Uganda, only eight months after taking control.
According to a press statement, Kenya and Burundi would utilize the opportunity to discuss “strategic cooperation,” beginning with their participation in the East African Community.
“Burundi remains an important trade partner to Kenya with the balance of trade in favour of Kenya. There is immense untapped potential to expand trade relations between our two countries in terms of both value and volume,”
A number of bilateral agreements that have been languishing for the past five years are also expected to be inked.
Kenyan companies such as KCB, Diamond Trust Bank, and Jubilee Insurance already have operations in the nation, and Kenya Airways has regular flights to Bujumbura.
