By Ebi Kesiena
Kenyan President William Ruto has promised to secure investments and opportunities, including 10,000 overseas jobs for Kenyans as he travelled out of the country for an official working tour in Seoul, South Korea.
Heritage Times HT reports that the Head of State, who returned from a State Visit to the United States on May 26 disclosed his planned trip during a church service in Kimilili, Bungoma County on Sunday.
Aware of the public criticism of his foreign trips, Ruto pleaded for tolerance saying he is keen to deliver on his mandate.
“You will forgive but you gave me the job and I must deliver the job, I will be travelling to Korea for another working trip,” he stated.
President Ruto maintained that the visit offers Kenya an opportunity to discuss a bilateral deal with South Korea to help balance their trade and investments.
He appealed to leaders to focus on national development and shun divisions on ethnic grounds.
“Let us focus our energy and attention on the transformation of Kenya, not in the division of our country. I want to request and urge all leaders to go that direction,” he said.
President Ruto’s trip to South Korea is the second, having visited in November 2022. At the time, the two sides agreed to a line of credit worth up to $1 billion for various sectors under what was known as the Framework Arrangement Partnership. However, the actual disbursement depends on the Korean Parliament approving every funding request.
President Ruto himself had called on South Korean lawmakers to pass legislation that will ease trade restrictions on Kenya, and Africa in general.
“The imbalance of trade favours Korea and Parliament can be instrumental in addressing this situation. Kenya imported some Ksh50 billion ($383 million) worth of goods but only sold to South Korea about ten percent of that value, 2022 official figures show’’ he had said after meeting South Korean legslators in 2022.
This time, Kenya said agreements worth Ksh40 billion ($306 million) will be concluded “to create opportunities in Kenya’s creative economy sector, and Ksh25 billion ($191 million) for water and irrigation projects.
“Also, Kenya will engage South Korea in exploring technology opportunities, including developing its semiconductor industry. Additionally, Kenya will join the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to advance its vaccine manufacturing goals.”
About 54 African leaders or their representatives have began arriving in Seoul on Saturday. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame indicated they had already arrived. Uganda is being represented by Vice President Jessica Alupo.
The Summit is held under the theme of ‘The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity’ and will be chaired by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed El Ghazouanu who is also the African Union chairman.
Kenya’s President is expected to arrive on Monday evening.
