EU envoys meet Uhuru, back anti-graft purge

President Uhuru Kenyatta at the roundtable meeting with KEPSA and European Union members.

European Union envoys to Kenya have declared their support for the anti-graft purge and the crackdown on counterfeit goods.

The ambassadors who met the President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi yesterday ahead of the launch of a dialogue forum between the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) and European Union Business Council said corruption and related economic crimes are a hindrance to the growth of enterprises and expansion of the investment environment.

Led by the Head of Delegation of the EU to Kenya Stephano Dejak, the envoys also pledged to deepen relations between Kenya and the EU, increase funding for counter-terrorism activities, the Kenya Coast Guard service, value-chain addition in the blue economy and agribusiness programmes.

In the meeting attended by Deputy President William Ruto and Cabinet Secretaries, the EU envoys promised to increase funds to support Amisom and other peace keeping initiatives involving Kenya.

The envoys from 18 EU member states also declared support for President Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda and assured of partnership with the government in the development of skilled labour through technical and vocational education and training.

They said it is through technical and vocational training that the country could build an adequate human resource capacity to enable the youth engage in gainful employment.

Dejak thanked President Kenyatta for facilitating the dialogue on the EU-Kepsa forum saying it will go a long way in enhancing commercial ties between Kenya and the EU.

President Kenyatta lauded the EU support for Kenya’s development agenda, saying it was key in attaining Vision 2030.

During the EU-Kepsa meeting, several Kenyan and foreign companies outlined their expansion agenda as well as new investment plans in the country totalling to more than Sh40 billion.