27 Jun 2016

President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama says Botswana and Kenya have a unique relationship that is premised on close historical ties, cultural heritage as well as common values and aspirations.

President Khama said he and President Uhuru Kenyatta shared some common denominators, in that they were both fourth Presidents and sons of the two nations’ founding Presidents, Sir Seretse Khama and Mr Jomo Kenyatta.

Welcoming the Kenyan visiting President during a state luncheon in Gaborone on June 27, he said the relationship between the two countries dated back to the formative years of Botswana’s independence when Kenya rendered support to the young nation in the early 1966.

‘’For us, the story of Botswana’s socio-economic transformation would not be complete without specific mention of Kenya’s contribution to our development efforts,’’ he said.

President Khama said a good number of Botswana’s first generation public administrators, health care, workers, railway workers, teachers, journalists, metrological specialists and agricultural experts as well as social workers were trained in Kenya.

He said to date, Botswana citizens continued to undergo training in Kenya in areas such as agriculture, medicine, economics, meteorology, defence, aviation and community development.

President Khama said both countries continued to closely cooperate through the framework of Botswana-Kenya Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC).

“This important platform continues to play a role in strengthening our bilateral cooperation, which is aimed at advancing our development goals and aspirations,” he said.

He however, noted that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries should not be measured by the number of agreements or Memorunda of Understanding that the two countries signed, but more on effective implementation of the commitments that the two countries made.

This, he said would ensure that accrued tangible benefits improved the living standards of the citizens of the two countries.

President Khama commended President Kenyatta for presiding over a transformative development agenda of Kenya that had been rated the fourth best destination for investment in Africa as well as the fourth fastest growing economy in Africa.

“Botswana commends Kenya for playing host to refugees from neighbouring states over many years at great sacrifice,’’ he said.

For his part, President Kenyatta said his visit provided opportunity to fortify close and cordial relations that existed between the two nations for about half a century.

He congratulated President Khama and Batswana for 50 years of growth, development and democracy and stability that he said was undoubtedly the consequence of good leadership.

“I want to applaud the former Presidents, Sir Ketumile Masire and Festus Mogae for keeping up a tradition of peaceful political transitions,” he said.

He also commended President Mogae for spearheading the joint monitoring and evaluation commission of the South Sudan peace process to Africa’s newest nation.

He said the visit being the second state visit by sitting Kenyan Head of State since 1998, was of particular importance to him.

“The relationship was inaugurated by President Khama’s father and my father. The two men were close friends and founding fathers of our respective nations and fellow pan Africanists. They cherished the ideal, which liberated the economically prosperous African continent united through common goals and always ensured that their countries extended goodwill and support to one another.

President Kenyata is in Botswana on a three-day state visit at the invitation of President Khama. Ends