Chinese FM Wang Yi arrives in Kenya for 2-day official visit » Capital News

MOMBASA, Kenya Jan 5 – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Kenya to start his two-day official visit as part of his Africa tour that includes Eritrea and Comoros.

A Chinese Foreign Minister tours Africa at the start of every year to demonstrate the importance Beijing attaches to the continent and this is the 32nd such visit.

Wang was received at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa by his Kenyan counterpart Raychelle Omamo.

An itinerary released by the Foreign Affairs ministry in Nairobi indicates that Wang will meet President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Mombasa on Thursday.

“The visit is part of the two countries efforts to strengthen the long-standing bilateral relations based on shared values and discuss the implementation of the outcomes of the 8th Ministerial Conference on the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Dakar, Senegal from November 28th to  30th 2021,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Wang was also set hold bilateral consultations and participate in a Ministerial Roundtable Meeting with his Kenyan counterpart Omamo together with other Cabinet Secretaries.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (second left) was received at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Kenya by her counterpart Raychelle Omamo (left) on January 5, 2022. On Wang’s right is Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian. /MFA.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry said the visit will give the two countries an opportunity to enhance bilateral relations by signing of several Agreements.

“The visit will further cement the comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership between Kenya and China,” Omamo said.

While in Mombasa, Wang and President Kenyatta are scheduled to inspect the progress of ongoing works at the new Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT).

The new KOT is an off-shore facility located at the Port of Mombasa, opposite to the existing Kipevu Oil Terminal.

The project consists of one offshore island terminal with four berths whose total length is 770m and one work boat wharf at Westmont area for landing facilities.

It also has five sub-sea pipelines which were buried 26meters under the seabed to allow for future dredging of the channel without interfering with the pipes. The new KES 40 billion Oil Terminal is financed by KPA and constructed by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC).

There are risers dedicated to a separate oil product connecting the terminal to the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL) and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) storage tanks.

Once complete the new oil terminal facility will have four berths (One not fully equipped) capable of handling six different hydrocarbon import and export products; it is also fitted with a Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) facility, crude oil and heavy fuel oil. It also has provisions for handling three types of white oil products (DPK- aviation fuel, AGO – diesel and PMS – petrol).