Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyan president, is in South Africa for a two-day state visit. He was given a warm welcome by South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa at his offices in the Union Buildings on Tuesday. They were called to meet to increase the cooperation to bring peace to conflict-ridden regions in Africa.
The two leaders held a press conference there. In the conference, they discussed the “grave situation in Ethiopia” and agreed that there is an urgent need for all parties to commit to an immediate, indefinite, and negotiated cease-fire.
According to sources, while in South Africa, Kenyatta is expected to visit the Aspen Pharmacare factory which is located in Gqebera (formerly in Port Elizabeth) on Wednesday. He wanted to see the production of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines there. The facility is producing and assembling the J&J vaccines. It can produce about 220 million doses of the J & J vaccines per year, many of which have been exported throughout Africa since the Covid 19 pandemic.
According to official stats, Kenya is one of South Africa’s largest trading partners in Africa other than the 15-nation Southern African Development Community.
Official statistics show that South Africa exported about $500 million worth of goods to Kenya in 2020, compared to imports of about $22 million. More than 60 South African companies are operating in Kenya.
