Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan, on Thursday held talks with Kenyan National Assembly Speaker Moses M. Wetang’ula, who is leading a parliamentary delegation on a bilateral visit to India.
During the meeting, V-P Radhakrishnan highlighted the longstanding parliamentary ties between India and Kenya and offered to share India’s experience in technology and digital solutions, including the use of digital technology to move towards a paperless Parliament.
The Vice-President also highlighted the growing development partnership between the two countries. He noted that India has supported several projects in Kenya through grant-in-aid, including the refurbishment of the Mahatma Gandhi Graduate Library at the University of Nairobi and the establishment of CT scan infrastructure at the Kenyan Navy Base in Mtongwe.
V-P Radhakrishnan recalled India’s assistance to Kenya during the Ebola outbreak, when India supplied an initial tranche of 4.5 tonnes of medical supplies.
Focus on capacity building and digital cooperation
The Vice-President underlined India’s continued focus on capacity building in Kenya. He said India offers around 400 scholarships, including training programmes for officials from various Kenyan government ministries. Twenty Kenyan diplomats are currently undergoing capacity-building programmes in India, while the number of ICCR scholarships for long-term courses has been increased from 80 to 100 annually.
The two countries are also advancing cooperation in digital governance. Radhakrishnan referred to the agreement for a Digi-Locker pilot project in Kenya, signed during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. He also said Indian and Kenyan teams are working together on the Gati Shakti initiative for Kenya.
UNSC reform and multilateral cooperation
V-P Radhakrishnan thanked Kenya for supporting India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2028-29 term and sought Nairobi’s support for India’s bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
He also expressed hope that Kenya would join the International Solar Alliance and the International Big Cat Alliance.
Highlighting the historical links between the two countries, the Vice-President said India and the Swahili coast had maintained well-established trading routes for mutual benefit. He also noted the centuries-old people-to-people connections between India and Kenya and welcomed the recognition of the Indian diaspora as Kenya’s 44th tribe.
Leaders’ visits strengthen ties
V-P Radhakrishnan recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kenya in 2016 and Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to India in 2023, noting that the exchanges had contributed to strengthening bilateral relations.
He also welcomed Kenya’s proposal to install a bust of Mahatma Gandhi within the premises of its National Assembly and noted the presence of an Indian-origin Member of Parliament in Kenya’s Parliamentary Friendship Group.
The Vice-President thanked the Kenyan delegation for its visit and expressed confidence that the engagement would further deepen parliamentary cooperation and strengthen the comprehensive partnership between India and Kenya.
The post Vice President Radhakrishnan meets Parliamentary delegation from Kenya appeared first on DD India.
