CARICOM, Kenya move to strengthen ties

GEORGETOWN (CMC):

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Thursday accredited the first ambassador of Kenya to the regional body, marking a further step in their rapidly growing relationship.

CARICOM Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, in receiving the credentials of Ambassador Anthony Mwaniki Muchiri, said the occasion added a new chapter to the 2019 milestone year when Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta paid visits to Jamaica and Barbados, and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley paid a reciprocal visit to Kenya.

During Kenyatta’s visit, he also had discussions with the then CARICOM chairman, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of St Lucia, and the CARICOM and Kenyan foreign ministers also engaged each other.

“One of the positive outcomes of the visit and those discussions is the provision by Kenya of office space in Nairobi to accommodate CARICOM representation,” Ambassador LaRocque said at the accreditation ceremony.

“Prime Minister Mottley accepted the generous offer during her visit and arrangements are being finalised so that the office could be occupied in the near future. I look forward to signing the tenancy agreement in the coming weeks,” he added.

CONSIDERING A DRAFT MOU

CARICOM and Kenya are also actively considering a draft memorandum of understanding for the establishment of a Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism between the two sides.

This in recognition of the significant scope for stronger collaboration and cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, people-to-people exchanges, and sustainable development.

Plans for Kenya to host a CARICOM and Africa Summit in 2020 had to be put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but CARICOM heads of government have also agreed to seek collaboration with the African Union (AU) to co-sponsor a proposed summit with European heads of government on the issue of reparations.

The secretary general also noted CARICOM’s appreciation for the AU’s offer for it to participate in the African Medical Supplies Platform, which would give the region access to vaccines at affordable prices.

He said member states are putting the arrangements in place to benefit from “this gesture of African-CARICOM solidarity”.

He added that CARICOM would also welcome Kenya’s support in its call on the World Health Organization to convene a Global Summit to address the inequity in vaccine access and distribution .