New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, Moses Wetang’ula, is visiting India to strengthen parliamentary exchanges between India and Kenya, including the recently constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups, the Indian Embassy in Kenya said on Thursday.
“Kenya and India share a longstanding cordial friendship with strong legislative exchanges among the two Parliaments. I have arrived in New Delhi, India, for an official visit to the Lok Sabha at the invitation of my counterpart, the Hon. Shri Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha,” Wetang’ula stated on X.
He added that H.E. Amb received him. Mary Mutuku, Deputy Head of Mission of the Republic of Kenya to India, alongside Hon. Umeshbhai Babubhai Patel, Member of the Lok Sabha, looked forward to productive bilateral engagements aimed at deepening friendship, parliamentary ties and cooperation between Kenya and India.
Om Birla welcomed Wetang’ula along with the Kenyan parliamentary delegation to the Indian Parliament.
“The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the longstanding friendship between India and Kenya, rooted in shared democratic values and a common historical legacy. The recently constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups in both countries will provide an important platform for deepening parliamentary engagement, fostering greater understanding between our two Parliaments and strengthening people‑to‑people connections,” Speaker Birla noted on X.
He said sharing legislative experiences and best practices can further deepen institutional cooperation.
Birla also noted that the discussions covered parliamentary capacity building through the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), as well as cooperation in technology and AI, education, healthcare, infrastructure, maritime connectivity, the Blue Economy, and digital development.
“I am confident that continued parliamentary engagement will add fresh momentum to India‑Kenya friendship and cooperation,” Birla emphasised.
The delegation also called on Vice‑President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha C.P. Radhakrishnan.
According to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, during the meeting, the Vice‑President highlighted the close parliamentary ties between India and Kenya and expressed India’s readiness to share its experience in technology solutions and digital technology, including the use of digital technology leading towards a paperless Parliament. He noted the presence of an Indian‑origin Member of Parliament in Kenya’s Parliamentary Friendship Group. He recalled with appreciation the proposal to install a bust of Mahatma Gandhi within the premises of the National Assembly of Kenya.
Referring to India’s development partnership with Kenya, the Vice‑President noted that several projects had been executed in the form of grant‑in‑aid, including the refurbishment of the Mahatma Gandhi Graduate Library of the University of Nairobi and the CT scan infrastructure at the Kenyan Navy Base, Mtongwe. He also recalled India’s assistance during the Ebola Virus Outbreak, when India delivered the first tranche of 4.5 tonnes of medical supplies.
The Vice‑President thanked Kenya for supporting India’s candidature for the non‑permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the term 2028–29. He sought Kenya’s support for India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council.
–IANS
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