By Wilkister Akinyi
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Swiss
counterpart Alain Berset after bilateral talks in 2018.
Kenya plans to establish a new embassy in
Bern the capital city of Switzerland to foster trade ties between Kenya and
Switzerland.
This has been revealed by Kenya’s Ambassador
to Switzerland, Andrew Kihurani.
“The new chancery will invigorate the growing
bilateral trade which has been on the upward trend with Kenya’s exports
standing KSH .4.8 billion while imports from Switzerland standing at ksh.8
billion annually,” Kihurani lauded.
He also pointed out “Another primary issue we
engage in is promotion of trade. You may be aware that there’s significant
bilateral trade between the two countries. Kenya is Switzerland’s 16th
biggest trading partner in Africa.”
The Kenyan Ambassador pointed out that
despite the balance of trade being tilted in favour of Switzerland, Kenya has
continued to increase its export of coffee, tea and horticultural produce.
He added that bilateral trade in 2021 was
extensive with Kenya being Switzerland’s major source of cut flowers.
Imports from Switzerland to Kenya include
herbicides, fungicides, chemicals, paints, machinery and pharmaceuticals.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Swiss counterpart Alain Berset after bilateral
talks
at
State House, Nairobi in 2018 [PSC]
Ambassador Kihurani noted that the core the
country engages in is the promotion of trade between the two states. He further
affirmed that the nations have had significant cooperation in the tourism
sector, “Kenya used to receive over 9000 tourist annually from Switzerland
prior to the COVID- 19 pandemic,” he said.
During the outbreak of the COVID- 19
pandemic, Kenya’s tourism sector was greatly affected by the COVID-19 protocols
that were enforced limiting traveling between countries.
Kihurani expressed hope that the
ongoing COVID- 19 vaccination process will revive the tourism sector with Kenya
receiving an increase of tourists from Switzerland. He stated that he expects
the level of tourism to begin growing once again.
“Switzerland has done about 70% of
vaccination of its population and of course Kenya we are continuing to increase
the level of vaccination,” he declared.
Speaking ahead of President Kenyatta’s
official visit to Switzerland, Kihurani also pointed out that President Uhuru
Kenyatta will visit Geneva which is scheduled to address the World Health
Assembly on May 22nd 2022.
The World Health Assembly in its 75th
anniversary takes place every year.
