United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to visit Kenya in the coming weeks.
In a statement on Tuesday May 13, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said he held a meeting with UK High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan to prepare for Starmer’s visit.
Omollo noted that they discussed key areas of security cooperation, centering on cybersecurity collaboration and police reforms.
“In preparation for the UK Prime Minister’s official visit to Kenya, I met with the UK High Commissioner to Kenya, H.E. Neil Wigan, to discuss key areas of security cooperation.
“Our engagement centred on enhancing cybersecurity collaboration and supporting ongoing police reforms, both critical pillars of the UK-Kenya Security Compact,” PS Omollo stated.
Wigan and Omollo also discussed the renewal of the joint security compact between Kenya and the UK.
Starmer became the UK Prime Minister in July 2024 succeeding Rishi Sunak, following a landslide victory by the Labour Party in the general election.
The UK Prime Minister’s scheduled visit comes nearly a year and a half after King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Kenya, where they were received with a ceremonial welcome and honoured with a 21-gun salute at State House
Starmer’s planned visit to Kenya also comes at a time when the UK government has announced the closure of its overseas recruitment route for social care workers, a move that is expected to impact many Kenyans seeking employment opportunities in the UK.
In a statement on Monday, the UK government said the decision is aimed at overhauling the adult social care sector.
“We will end overseas recruitment for social care visas. In line with our wider reforms to skills thresholds, we will close social care visas to new applications from abroad.
“For a transition period until 2028, we will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country with working rights, but this will be kept under review,” the statement read.
