Iranian President Raisi's State visit moved to Wednesday
National
By
David Njaaga
| Jul 11, 2023
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi will arrive in the country for a State visit on Wednesday, July 12.
This comes hours after State House announced cancellation of his trip to Kenya on Tuesday, July 11.
Confirming the visit, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said Raisi's Tuesday trip was delayed owing to unfinished business.
"The schedule of the president has now been reviewed to allow for the finalization of key Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that will further advance the bilateral relations between Kenya and Iran," Mutua said.
"The Iranian President will now arrive in the country tomorrow for a State visit. The President will be at State House at 7:00 am for a bilateral meeting."
After the meeting, the Iranian Head of State will proceed to lay a wreath at the Mausoleum of the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
Initially, President Raisi was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, July 11, as part of his three-day tour that included Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Raisi was set to meet President Ruto for bilateral talks aimed at reviewing and strengthening the relations between Kenya and Iran.
However, his trip was abruptly canceled just hours before a briefing at State House, Nairobi on Tuesday.
Journalists who had arrived to cover the event were turned away when they learned that the highly anticipated press conference had been rescheduled at the last minute.
The tour marks the Iranian President's first visit to Africa in 11 years.
Kenya and Iran have maintained diplomatic relations since 1963.