Uhuru Kenyatta, Donald Trump discuss trade and terrorism

President Donald Trump spoke on Tuesday with President Uhuru Kenyatta, with the White House saying that the US leader sought to "reaffirm the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries.”

The telephone conversation also focused on “economic partnership and mutual dedication to overcoming terrorism and other regional security challenges through close cooperation,” a statement from White House added.

CALL LIST

“President Trump expressed appreciation for Kenya’s significant contributions to the African Union Mission in Somalia and recognized Kenyan troops’ sacrifices in the fight against Al-Shabaab,” the statement said.

Mr Trump spoke last month with the presidents of Nigeria and South Africa.

Those choices as the US president's first direct contact with sub-Saharan leaders caused a well-placed source in Washington to suggest at the time that “a failure of Kenyan diplomacy” accounted for Mr Trump's omission of Mr Kenyatta from his initial Africa call list.

“Nigeria and South Africa have been working this for some time,” said the source who is knowledgeable about the Trump administration's efforts to formulate Africa policy. “They've been in contact.”

“Kenya hasn't done that,” the source added.

Tuesday's phone call puts paid to suggestions that Mr Trump values Kenya less than other regional powers in Africa.

It also confirms the assertion last month by Kenya's Deputy Chief of Mission to Washington David Gacheru that “a telephone conversation between President Kenyatta and President Trump is already in the works and should be taking place within a short time frame.”

Tuesday's discussion also touched on “ways to boost bilateral trade and investment in Kenya and the broader East Africa region,” the statement said.