Scholz has arrived in Kenya to continue his visit to the East African region. Berlin and Nairobi share close ties going back to Kenya's independence 60 years ago.You can watch the event in this article or on our Youtube channel

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz landed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Friday, a day after arriving in Ethiopia to kick off his four-day trip to East Africa.

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He was received by Kenyan President William Ruto with military honors before the two hold talks that are expected to focus on economic relations between the two, regional conflicts and the use of renewable energies — an area in which Kenya has excelled.

Germany considers Kenya its most important trading partner in the region and the ties between the two countries go back to Kenya's independence from the British Empire 60 years ago when Germany became the first country to grant it official recognition.

What will Scholz be discussing in Kenya?

Scholz's visit to Ethiopia on Thursday saw him meet with the head of the African Union (AU) which has its headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The topic of violence in Africa, especially the recent outbreak of conflict in Sudan, was likely to continue to dominate the agenda as the German chancellor crossed into Kenya.

Berlin considers Kenya a hub of democratic governance in the region, but Ruto has recently come under fire for his heavy-handed response to opposition-led protests.

Kenya's renewable energy

But talks will also focus on the use of renewable energies. Kenya is a frontrunner in this field, producing between 80% and 92% of its electricity from renewable sources.

However, the real amounts remain relatively low, with just 12-gigawatt hours (GWh) produced for its population of 53 million in 2020, compared to Germany's 573 GWh produced in the same time period, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Scholz also brought a dozen business representatives on his trip. Kenya is hoping to attract foreign investment to increase its electricity production capacity and with it its industrial base.

On Saturday the German chancellor will be visiting the Lake Naivasha geothermal plant — the largest in Africa.

ab/wd (dpa, AFP)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2023 03:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).