ZAMBIA and Kenya yesterday signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in agriculture, tourism, police co-operation and gender equality to boost trade, investment and economic development between the countries.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba signed on behalf of Zambia while Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Amina Mohamed signed on behalf of her country.
The signing ceremony, which took place at State House, was witnessed by President Lungu and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta and other senior Government officials from both countries.
“What has happened your Excellencies is that Zambia and Kenya have signed four memorandums of understanding in four areas of interest in agriculture, tourism, police co-operation and gender equality,” Mr Kalaba said.
And Mr Kalaba told journalists in an interview after the signing ceremony that the four agreements are a result of the meeting the two heads of State had in Addis Ababa in January this year.
He said Zambia has been a mono-economy for a long time and time has come to diversify into other sectors such as agriculture.
Mr Kalaba said diversification from a mono-economy will only be achieved if Zambia opens up to other countries like Kenya.
He said Zambia and Kenya share very strong views on gender and equality such as women emancipation, gender parity issues and the realisation of Agenda 2063.
Mr Kalaba said Kenya has been a leader in the tourism sector and Zambia needs to learn some lessons on how to promote and enhance the sector further.
“Kenya has been a leader in the tourism sector and you can only ignore them at your own peril for and a country like Zambia, which is endowed with so many natural resources, it is important that we learn from Kenya,” he said.
Mr Kalaba also said that another agreement on information and communications technology has been signed to enhance information communication technology.
He said it is important for Zambia and Kenya to continue strengthening relations for the benefit of the two countries.
How about an MOU on exchanging our presidents for 3yrs?
Uhuru is a serious leader about ICT, anti corruption and he’s busy turning Kenya into a serious business hub while EL is always busy visiting other nations and electioneering.
now that the MOUs have been signed, its time to construct 4 teams of civil servants from each of these areas in which MOUs have been signed and send them to Kenya even for just a week to go and learn or study how Kenya is doing it and let them come and apply the knowledge on the ground, cause lets face it, they are ahead of us in tourism, ICT and have one of the fastest growing economy and this should benefit us more. And please send sober minded people and when them come back, listen to them. otherwise this is just window dressing FULL STOP.
Kenyans are advanced but very backward. They have too much village metality. I know they ve gone as far assembly there own ugly looking matatus. too many thieves on Koinanga street. I almost lost my life over sh200.00. Too many crooks in Nairobi I will never set my foot in that country again. Thats why Obama does’t want to be associated with that murderous country.
I think i need a new definition of backwards.
@ Kunay. Well, I could have wished to hear more from what you are calling backward and village mentality. Your purported visit in Kenya (if any) appears unfortunate. Concerning Obama, Just google ” Obama in Kogelo-Nyanza” and see him in rural Kenya. We don’t worship people. Here, we are concerned with Kenya not Obama or USA. He is coming here in 3 weeks time but we take him as any other president just like Lungu or Uhuru. Put your country first and you will ever remain a proud Zambian.
Zambia can also learn from Kenya how to make developed Countries pay our Country for NOT cutting trees. Just image getting paid for leaving our trees alone. As some are aware, this is now a multi-million dollar trade between regions. Its God sent for Countries like Zambia. Its called CARBON CREDIT EXCHANGE. Put simply, the air we breathe knows no human boundaries. So Zambian trees are busy cleaning the air which a factory in Europe or USA has contaminated with Carbon. As owners of the trees, Zambia is allowed by United Nations to charge for the services the trees provide. As simple as that. Kenya have been doing this for years through their Kenya Carbon Credit Schemes.
PF are too busy stealing by making road building the most expensive in the world to worry about trees.
The worst is South Africa where they robe people in day light at gun point.Kenya could be a better country.Johannesburg and Pretoria are full of thieves.
The criminals are the six million illegal African immigrants who have clogged the streets of South Africa. It is time to expel them all.
Kenya has quality leadership our leaders are busy stealing from Government confer they have no vision for this country.ati ifitu nilungu the thing is that person has no vision period! one plus one is two that so.
They speak of tourism in Zambia but how can this sector work if they have no skilled labour? We all know the Minister of Tourism and Arts has no say in anything and couched in what to say by the Basungu running the show. She has made a very bad decision lifting the lion ban which will cost the tourism sector because investors don’t like such decisions. The world now is moving towards a green economy, globalization and sustainability which is not in line with the millennium goals. You would think they attend UNWTO, WHO and climate issue summits that they’d actually learn something. Hire people with an actual education in this sector is only when you will see if take off. You have a lot of educated UNZA students who can work together with madame minister without taking her precious job.