Uhuru: China will aid fight against poachers

President Uhuru Kenyatta ended his week-long tour of China and got a commitment from the Asian giant to help tackle the problem of poaching.

Mr Kenyatta is expected back in the country at the end of what is easily his most high profile tour of his young presidency.

The visit to China, in which agreements worth $5 billion (Sh425 billion) were signed, was closely watched by regional and international media because of the uneasy relations the Jubilee administration has with the West due to the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments facing

President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.

The lavish welcome extended to the President – including a 21-gun salute and reception at the iconic

Great Hall of China – might have been intended to serve as a signal by the Chinese that they are happy to work with the new administration.

AWKWARD QUESTION

But the Kenyan delegation also raised the awkward question of wildlife protection which has been a source of problems for Kenya with the rising cases of poaching blamed on the appetite for ivory in China.

According to a dispatch by the presidential press team, Mr Kenyatta said China had acknowledged that poaching was a problem and committed itself to work with Kenya in solving it.

He said the Chinese Government offered to improve surveillance around national parks and game reserves. The President added that China will also help with capacity building to enable the Kenya Wildlife Service deal effectively with poachers.

The President addressed a wide range of issues, including bilateral relations, economic partnerships, food security and general security.

President Kenyatta said China was working with Kenya to ensure security agencies have the latest equipment and technology to effectively undertake their mandate. He said China and Kenya entered into a partnership to fight terrorism and piracy.

The President said an agreement was signed to finance geothermal power generation costing about $1 billion. Together with other initiatives, this would raise power generation capacity to more than 5,000 megawatts from the current 1,600 megawatts.

“Increased power generation will lower the cost of doing business and attract more investors to our country, which is good for us because it will grow the economy,” he said.
Daily Nation