MILAN: A carnival mood engulfed the Milan Expo 2015 as President Uhuru Kenyatta launched Kenya's new international brand, in a rare opportunity to market the country at the international arena.
The seven days of events and celebration started with a parade led by President Kenyatta as he toured various stands with cultural troupes belting out Kenyan music, attracting thousands of people and almost bringing the expo to a stand-still.
The President said the exposition accorded Kenya a chance to showcase emerging investment opportunities as well as entrench the country's position as a preferred tourist destination.
"We look forward to leveraging this year's expo to attract more concrete forms of co-operation with Italian economic operators," Uhuru said.
President Kenyatta spoke yesterday when he launched 'Kenya Week' where a series of events have been lined up in a bid to market Kenya as a "land of unlimited possibilities". Uhuru said Kenya is a hospitable country and is unique in many ways, adding that the presence of a large number of Italian companies in Kenya, especially in the tourism sector, was a testimony of the country's position as a suitable investment destination.
He said the expo – which brings together over 150 countries and more than 20 million people globally – enabled sharing of experiences among participating countries.
"This exposition accords all participating countries an opportunity to show-case how they are contributing to the global issues that gravitate on food security in a sustainable manner," President Kenyatta said.
FOOD PRODUCTION
He added: "We believe that participation in this important event should help us focus our priorities on food production and improve quality of life of our people."
Kenya's theme for the Expo is "Kenya: The Land of Unlimited Possibilities." It is derived from the overall theme of the Expo "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life".
The Head of State said Kenya identifies with the aspirations of the expo because food security forms part of the country's higher national goals.
"Our quest for food sufficiency and contribution towards global sustainability is even stronger," he said.
Uhuru said Kenya is also aligning her policies to become a middle-income country that is prosperous and globally competitive by 2030.
The President said Kenya is strategically located as a hub and a gateway to the wider East African Community.
