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Sub Saharan Africa

Kenya

 Flag of Kenya

Last reviewed: 21 April 2009

Country information

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The new East African Community (EAC) was formally launched in January 2001. It has a parliament, the East African Legislative Assembly, and a secretariat in Arusha (Tanzania). A Customs Union protocol, signed in 2004, came into effect on 1 January 2005. As a member of IGAD (comprising Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan), Kenya has played a key mediation role in the Sudan and Somali peace talks.

East African Community

Intergovernmental Authority on Development

Terrorist groups, believed to be part of the Al Qaeda network, have targeted western interests in Kenya and pose a continuing threat. There have been 3 major terrorist attacks: the August 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, in which 232 people were killed; a suicide car bomb attack on an Israeli-owned hotel in November 2002, in which 15 people were killed, and an unsuccessful attempt to shoot down an Israeli charter plane the same day. The UK is supporting Kenyan counter-terrorism efforts through an assistance programme.

Kenya's relations with the UK

Visits

The UK and Kenya enjoy a close relationship and frequent contacts. The main recent ones were:

Visits to Kenya by Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development (March 2009); Lord West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Security and Counter-terrorism), (December 2008); Bob Ainsworth, Minister for the Armed Forces (October 2008); and Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister of State for Africa (January and November 2008);

Visits to the UK by Prime Minister Raila Odinga (March 2009 for a pre-G20 meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and African Leaders, and July 2008); and President Mwai Kibaki (October 2005).

Cultural Relations

The British Council is the focal point for cultural relations between Britain and Kenya.

British Council, Kenya

Policy

For recent statements of UK Government policy towards Kenya see the Hansard, and enter Kenya in the search engine.

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Contacts

Kenya

Address:

Kenya High Commission
45 Portland Place
London W1B 1AS



Agriculture and Commercial Offices
25 Brooks Mews
Off Davies Street
London W1

 

Telephone:

(020) 7636 2371
(020) 7355 3146 (Agriculture and Commercial)
(020) 7355 3145 (Commercial)

Fax:

(020) 7323 6717
(020) 7495 8656 (Agriculture)
(020) 7355 3144 (Commercial)

Email: kcomm45@aol.com

Office hours:

Mon-Fri: 0900-1300 and 1400-1700
Mon-Fri: 0930-1200 and 1400-1530 (Visa)

 

 

Website: http://www.kenyahighcommission.net