US officials sideline Kuria over social media posts

Trade and Investments Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria was on Wednesday conspicuously missing as President William Ruto met US Trade Representative Katherine Tai at State House in Nairobi.

Ambassador Tai has been in the country for two days and there have been reports she refused to meet Kuria over his recent social media posts.

Sources indicated that apart from not meeting the US top official, Kuria did not engage the delegation of the US-East Africa Community Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Council.

During the meeting, the President said that the US remains Kenya's most important trade and investment partner.

A photo shared by State House after the meeting had the Trade CS missing yet he would ordinarily be the host partner.

Instead, the President was accompanied by former Trade and Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Aden Mohamed who is his economic advisor.

Ruto said that under the Africa Growth and Opportunity (Agoa) Act, Kenya has developed value chains, expanded and diversified exports and created thousands of job opportunities.

"We will expand our relationship beyond Agoa - in the wake of advanced technology and climate change - to fully realise our trade potential," he said.

"At State House Kenya, Nairobi, I held talks with Ambassador Tai, the Principal Trade Advisor and Spokesperson on US Trade Policy," President Ruto said.

Since his appointment as Trade CS, Kuria has posted, on his social media platforms, statements which are in bad taste targeting opposition leaders and the media. 

The CS, on Sunday, Tweeted a controversial statement saying there was a person who would die on Wednesday and be buried on July 27.

"Atakufa Wednesday 19th azikiwe Saturday 29th. Jowi! (He will die on Wednesday 19th and be buried on Saturday 29th," Tweeted Kuria.

Unasimama mbele ya bus imebeba abiria 53 Million? Itapita na wewe Omera, (You are standing in front of a bus carrying 53 million passengers? It will it will crush you," tweeted Kuria.