DRC president in Kenya, second stop of three-nation tour

• Posted on February 6, 2019
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi, arrived in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Wednesday for the second-leg of his three-nation tour.

Kenya is his first English-speaking destination since taking over the reins from long serving Joseph Kabila in late January. He is expected to hold bilateral talks with his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta.

He was received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister and other top government officials. His first stop was in Angola on Tuesday, January 5.

It is worthy of note that President Kenyatta was the only African Head of State that attended Tshisekedi’s investiture. He was accompanied by political rival now ally, Raila Amolo Odinga.

DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi arrives in Nairobi for bilateral talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Kenyan capital was the venue of the two-party coalition that won the December 30, 2018 presidential elections. Tshisekedi leading the UPDS agreed with Vital Kamerhe to form the CACH coalition.

The duo had pulled out of an earlier coalition, Lamuka, agreed under the auspices of the Kofi Annan Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland. Leader of Lamuka, Martin Fayulu insists till date that he was the validly elected president.

His final stop will be in Brazzaville, capital of Congo Republic where he is supposed to confer with President Denis Sassou-Nguesso and other officials.

The two Congos have historic ties that date back decades. Separated by the River Congo, authorities announced a $550m plan to build a bridge to link their respective capital – Kinshasa and Brazzaville.