Her Excellency Halima Mohamud, Ambassador of Kenya
In an exclusive interview with The Times Kuwait on the occasion of Kenya’s upcoming National Day on 12 December, the country’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kuwait, Her Excellency Halima Mohamud spoke at length about the strong bilateral relations existing between the two countries, and the potential to further enhance and cement these ties in all fields going forward.
Ambassador Mohamud, who took over ambassadorial duties in November 2019, is her country’s third envoy to Kuwait. Following a long career in leadership roles that began in her university days as a student leader, the ambassador was also involved in leading several civil rights and good governance engagements in her country, especially after the promulgation of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution.
The new constitution, considered by many to be among the most progressive constitutions in the world, brought about several changes on various fronts, including in the ending of gender discrimination and the creation of an Upper House of Parliament, the Senate. Between 2013-2017, Ambassador Mohamud served as Senator in the newly created Senate; and in 2019, when she was appointed as her country’s ambassador to Kuwait, she was a part of the largest cohort of female ambassadors to be appointed in Kenya’s history.
At the onset of the interview, the ambassador expanded on the strength of existing ties between Kenya and Kuwait. “Relations between our two countries have existed long before the formal start of bilateral relations in 1965. It has been reported that Kuwaiti merchants have historically ferried and traded along the Swahili coast calling on ports in Mombasa and Zanzibar. In the wake of Kenyan independence, Kuwait was the first Arab country to open a diplomatic mission in Nairobi.
“This year, Kenya National Day on 12 December, will mark the 58th year since Kenya gained independence from British Rule. Fifty-eight years on, today, Kenya stands proud as a sovereign nation and a vibrant democracy that is widely considered as the gateway to east and central Africa.
“Relations between Kenya and Kuwait are cordial and the two countries have mutually beneficial engagements on both the bilateral and multilateral arena. This has resulted in expansion and deepening of our relations to greater heights. Several key cooperation frameworks have been signed and others are still under negotiation, which underscore the importance of this relationship.
“In addition, and thankfully, Kuwait funds several development projects in Kenya through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, some of which have been completed and others are still ongoing. I am optimistic that the Kenya-Kuwait relations will continue to grow from strength to strength.”
Speaking about the economic cooperation and investment opportunities in her country, the ambassador noted: “Kenya is one of the largest economies in Africa and is considered as the gateway to east and central Africa. Its major exports include tea, flowers, coffee and horticulture, besides being a major global tourist destination.
“As a developing nation, there are a wide range of investment opportunities, especially in those aligned to the President’s clarion call on the Big 4 Agenda. These include investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, housing and construction sector, heath sector and agricultural sector for food security. Other potential areas of investment include the hospitality industry, the blue economy, mining and oil exploration, telecommunication and services sector. I encourage Kuwait companies and individuals interested in investing in Kenya to pay a visit to the Embassy for detailed discussions.”
Expanding on cooperation in educational and health sectors, the Kenyan envoy said: “Kuwait University has an ongoing scholarship programme for Kenyan students, from which many students from my country have benefitted.
Kuwaiti students also visit Kenyan educational institutions for various collaborations, including as attachments at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNoN). Moreover, a cooperation framework in the field of education is expected to be concluded soon which will further expand the bilateral cooperation.
There are currently five Kenyan students in Kuwait universities, and we working towards increasing this number through ongoing bilateral negotiations. Student exchange programs do play an important role in fostering understanding and cross-cultural exchange.
“In terms of health, Kenya is privileged to have a young and qualified workforce (Human Capital Surplus) in the health sector covering medics, nurses and technicians that Kuwait can tap into. It is anticipated that with the conclusion of an agreement in the health sector, Kenya will provide an ample workforce to Kuwait in the critically important health sector.”
Regarding trade between the two countries, Ambassador Mohamud noted that in 2020 the total trade between the two countries showed an upward trajectory in terms of both volume and value compared to 2019. “Today, there are increasingly more Kenya products on the shelves of Kuwait market, such as meat, fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee and flowers, whereas Kuwait products in Kenya have also increased. Volume of bilateral trade has grown more than two fold year on year since 2019.”
Expanding on the potential for Kenya to attract more tourists from Kuwait, the envoy stated: “Kuwaitis have long enjoyed Kenya’s scenic tourist attractions and it is our wish that Kenya will become the most preferred tourist destination in Africa for more Kuwaitis.”
Clarifying about the health protocols in place for visitors to Kenya, and the current COVID-19 situation in her country, the ambassador explained: “Like any other country, Kenya has been adversely affected by the Corona virus pandemic. The tourism and aviation sectors were in particular the most affected, as tourism figures dipped drastically. The Coronavirus put a strain on the health care system. The current public health focus is to get as many people as possible vaccinated. At the moment, there are no travel restrictions to travel to Kenya except for the need for a PCR test.”
On relations in the social and cultural front, she noted that there has been strong interaction between people of the two countries. “Kenyan athletes have competed and won several marathons in Kuwait. We would also like to explore opportunities where Kuwaiti athletes could train in Kenya, particularly in long distance athletics.
“Also, though currently there are no Kenyan domestic workers engaged in Kuwait, the two countries are negotiating a Bilateral Labor Agreement that will in the near future enable Kenyan domestic workers to work in the State of Kuwait.”
Revealing future plans in the year ahead, Ambassador Mohamud said: “We are looking forward to receiving our Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb. Raychelle Omamo, who is due to visit the State of Kuwait early next year. During the visit, she is expected to inaugurate the first session of the Joint Commission of Cooperation between the Republic of Kenya and the State of Kuwait.
“We also highly appreciate the role of Kuwait in promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond. Kuwait is a model state that is well known for its peace and humanitarian efforts across the globe.
The government of Kuwait has reached out to so many needy people across the world and intervened to make their lives better. Further, Kuwait’s diplomacy is anchored on neutrality and the peaceful resolutions to conflict and therefore it is a shining beacon and champion of peace and stability in the region and beyond. This also reinforces Kenya’s eight point agenda, since it is currently serving at the UN Security Council (2021/22) and aspires to enhance global peace and stability.”
The ambassador concluded by wishing Kuwait, its leadership and the people the very best in the years ahead.
– THE TIMES KUWAIT REPORT