ITB - President Uhuru Kenyatta yet to confirm if he’ll attend US talks -- Standard

[bsteadman]

President Uhuru Kenyatta yet to confirm if he’ll attend US talks

The Standard / Standard Digital News
Kibiwott Koross
6/6/2014

Excerpt:

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta is yet to confirm whether he will attend an African leaders summit to be hosted by US President Barack Obama in August.

State House yesterday said the president has already received an invitation but a decision was yet to be made on whether he would attend.

The invitation comes in the wake of frosty relationship with the US, a key development partner for Kenya, and Uhuru’s efforts to woo China.

The president has also been unhappy with the US and its western allies, after they issued travel advisories that have affected tourism.

Yesterday, State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said in a short text message said: “The president has been invited as we have confirmed many times before. No decision whether he will attend.” He did not comment further. 47 African leaders have been invited for the meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for the first week of August and it is the first of its kind to bring leaders from across the African continent to the nation’s capital and further strengthen ties with one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest-growing regions.
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[bsteadman]

Kenya: Uhuru Undecided On U.S. Africa Summit

AllAfrica
Felix Olick
6/11/2014

Excerpt:

PRESIDENT Uhuru Kenyatta is still undecided whether to honour an invitation to the Africa Leaders Summit in the US with less than two months to go. State House has confirmed that a decision is yet to be reached regarding the visit despite the President receiving formal invitation in January.

According to a statement issued by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Africa Leaders Summit Committee is already working on a tentative programme from Tuesday August 5 to the evening of Wednesday August 6. "The President has been invited as we have confirmed many times before," State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu told the Star.

"However, their is no decision on whether he will attend." The summit to be hosted by US President Barack Obama in Washington DC comes at a time when Kenya's relation with the West has sunk to a new low with at least three European Union countries issuing travel advisories to their nationals.

Jubilee-allied politicians have also been bashing the Western superpowers of allegedly working with the Cord coalition to stage an Arab Spring-like revolution to force Uhuru out of the Presidency.

"We have seen what has happened in countries like Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and now Syria. We hope our opposition leader did not go to the US to learn these things," nominated Senator Beth Mugo said in reference to Cord leader Raila Odinga's sabbatical in the US.

Uhuru himself has scoffed at the West, accusing them of hypocrisy regarding the travel advisories, which he termed as insults to Kenya.

"Now they are issuing travel advisories and evacuating their citizens over the terror incidents, and we are telling them that they can go if they want," Uhuru said.

"We aren't afraid. We will do our own things here. We are there to promote domestic tourism and we will shop for tourists from other nations."

US, UK and Australia are among the EU countries that have slapped Kenya with travel advisories.
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http://allafrica.com/stories/201406110990.html