First High Commissioner of Kenya to Seychelles accredited
The first High Commissioner of Kenya to Seychelles pledges to continue building on the robust relationship between the two countries.
Isaac Njenga Gatitu presented his credentials to President Wavel Ramkalawan on Tuesday.
«We hope to be able to give impetus to these relations that are in existence, we hope to bring more impact to our governments and our people as we build our economies, as we build our cultural and social ties,» he told reporters.
Kenya and Seychelles have a long shared history as both countries are members of the Commonwealth and the African Union.
«We have commonality in our governance system and some of the education systems because of some of our shared history,» he added.
There is a significant Kenyan community in Seychelles working in different sectors such as fisheries, education sector and tourism, among others.
Gatitu revealed that there are possibilities for further cooperation in tourism, where visitors could visit Kenya and Seychelles as part of a package.
«We can complement each other, with the safaris that Kenya is known for, the world-renowned Masai Mara and the wild game reserves we have,» he said.
The two countries are also cooperatiing in the field of defence and security since the region has suffered from piracy scourge for many years. However, with a recent resurgence in piracy, the two countries are examining «how we can enhance the cooperation that already exists between the two countries in maritime security, defence, and intelligence sharing that would help us to have the capacity to deal with this vice,» said the newly accredited high commissioner.
He said that the two countries will also work together to fight the «menace of drug trafficking and drug use in the region.» The high commissioner added that «allowing our population to be involved in drugs would mean a national security threat to our country.»
As illicit drug trafficking is also linked to other crimes, he stressed that transnational crimes cannot be fought as a country alone and that «you can only do it in partnership with others and particularly those who are in close proximity.»
In the agriculture sector, Kenya has managed to «maximise output with the amount of arable land it has, this is an area we will also be able to share with the Seychellois community,» said Gatitu.
He also revealed talks on cooperation between the School of Agriculture and Horticulture in Seychelles and the Edgerton University in Kenya and said that« This can only help to enhance the capacity that already exists here.»
The first Kenyan High Commissioner to Seychelles admitted that Kenyans can also learn from Seychelles in the areas of fisheries and Blue Economy - an area it excels in.
Other sectors the two countries plan to further cooperate in are health, education and student exchanges.
In regards to the agreements the two countries signed in July 2022 during the State Visit of the Kenyan President, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, Gatitu said he will be visiting various top officials in the country during the day to put to action the words of the MoUs.
Gatitu will be based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
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