National Assembly Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee chairperson Nelson Koech Tuesday morning hosted British High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan at his office in Nairobi.
High Commissioner Wigan and Koech held a robust discussion, reaffirming the strong and strategic partnership between Kenya and the United Kingdom.
The high-level meeting acknowledged the Kenya-UK strategic partnership.
The UK is Kenya’s largest trading partner.
During the third quarter of 2024, the volume of trade grew by 4.7% to Sh958.2 billion.
However, Koech highlighted the trade imbalance which has widened saying.
"Addressing this imbalance through diversifying our exports and value addition, remains a priority for the Government of Kenya."
On his part, the UK envoy underscored the importance of two nations trade relations.
"The United Kingdom and Kenya enjoy extensive bilateral relations and cooperation in areas covering trade, investments, tourism, defence and security, anti-piracy, counter-terrorism and climate change," stated Wigan.
Both parties also discussed the continued strategic partnership between the two countries' Defence Forces and the Defence Cooperation Agreement that was ratified by the National Assembly in April 2023 with reservations but has yet to be concluded.
Koech assured the UK envoy of Kenya's commitment to expedite the process of completion of the Defence Cooperation Agreement noting its importance for regional security.
"In conjunction with the State Department on Foreign Affairs, I will coordinate with the PS to ensure the Defence Cooperation Agreement will be fast-tracked to further strengthen the strategic security of our two nations."
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