Kenya could soon adopt aspects of the National Leadership Retreat, Umwiherero, according to the country’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenyatta was in Rwanda earlier today on a one-day working visit upon which he held talks with his counterpart, Paul Kagame, at the Rwanda defence Force (RDF) Combat Training Centre in Gabiro on the sidelines of the 16th National Leadership Retreat. Addressing Rwanda government leaders as well business operators shortly after his meeting with President Kagame, Kenyatta said he was impressed by the model of the leadership dialogue. “When the President told me you are meeting and having a retreat, I told him that, as a friend, a brother, and a neighbour, I would like to come and see how you people run the affairs of Rwanda. And I must say that indeed I am quite impressed, to the point that I am going to copy this,” he said. He said that Kenya values its relationship with Rwanda as it has enabled integration on multiple fronts. He said that among the evidence of the warm ties was ease of movement of people between the two countries as well as cooperation in sectors such as ICT. “Let me say that the relationship between our two countries is probably one of the best relations that we have, as Kenya. The things that we have been able to do together, in terms of easing movement of our people, in terms of the linkages and what we did especially in the ICT sector, telecommunications sector,” “We have many Kenyans living and working here in Rwanda and feeling very much at home. We have many Rwandans living and working in Kenya, really showing that we are brothers and sisters, bound at the hip,” he said. He said that going forward, as leaders, they seek to deepen the ties to allow further integration and ties between the two countries as well as easy solutions to challenges that could arise. He commended Rwanda for efforts over the last two and a half decades after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Kenyatta said that the country has since risen to one of the leaders on the continent owing to clarity of direction. “We are very proud of the manner in which Rwanda has turned around, from a country that was heavily, heavily hit, especially during the Genocide period, a country that was on its knees, to one of the brightest stars on the African continent in a very short space of time. Really showing clear direction and clarity from the top, all the way to all of you who have been part and parcel of making this Rwandan dream a reality,” he said. He called for continued cooperation among the two nations to make the most of the untapped potential. “At the end of the day, Kenya alone cannot make it, Rwanda alone cannot make it, but together we have huge and tremendous potential for growing prosperity for our people and for our countries, he added. Kenyatta left the country shortly after. The National Leadership Retreat is scheduled to end today. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
