Tight schedule for Uhuru at UN meet

President Kenyatta is expected to arrive in New York on Wednesday to begin what Kenya’s envoy to the United Nations described as “the busiest foreign visit by the Head of State since assuming office in 2013”.

According to Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Mr Kenyatta is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with several heads of state and government, including Pope Francis, on the sidelines of the 70th session of UN General Assembly.

Several world leaders, including UK Prime Minister David Cameron, have requested to meet with Mr Kenyatta.

Speaking to the Nation from his New York office yesterday, Mr Kamau said the president’s itinerary includes addressing the General Assembly twice – on Friday and Monday.

“This is unprecedented,” said Mr Kamau. “The President is one of the few speakers at the plenary on Friday because Kenya co-chaired the working committee which formulated the Post 2015 development agenda on Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs),” he added.

MEETINGS WITH OTHER LEADERS

A tentative itinerary seen by the Nation indicates that Mr Kenyatta will hold talks with about a dozen heads of state and government at various locations within the UN complex in Manhattan.

Mr Kamau said several international media organisations have also written to the Kenyan Mission seeking to interview President Kenyatta.

“We have been inundated with requests for media interviews throughout the period of his stay in New York,” said the envoy. The Associated Press (AP), Reuters, UN Radio and the Voice of America are slated for interviews. Others include the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera America and France 24.

On Saturday, Mr Kenyatta will join other world leaders at a meeting on peace and international security chaired by President Barack Obama.

“During this trip, the president will mainly focus on (the) post-millennium development agenda, peace and security and Kenya-US relations,” said spokesman Manoah Esipisu in a press briefing at State House last week.