Malawi’s Chakwera in the country for Mashujaa Day fete, bilateral talks » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 20 – President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, a theologian who trounced incumbent Edgar Lungu to become leader of the southern African nation in 2020, has arrived in the country to grace this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations at the Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga.

The Malawian leader, who will be the chief guest, arrived in Nairobi on Tuesday afternoon accompanied by his wife Monica at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

“I am leaving for Kenya today at the invitation of my dear brother and friend President Uhuru Kenyatta. I will hold bilateral talks with him for the benefit of our people. I have also been honored as Chief Guest at this year’s Mashujaa Day Celebrations for tomorrow,” Chakwera noted on his Twitter account before leaving Malawi.

They were received by ICT and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru and and his Defence counterpart Eugene Wamalwa. Chakwera will be in Kenya for a three-day state visit.

On Thursday, he will be received by President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta at State House Nairobi where the two leaders will hold talks.

This will be Chakwera’s inaugural visit to the country as a president after winning the 2020 elections.

The former evangelical preacher, came into office in June 2020 after winning the election against incumbent Edgar Lungu.

He led Malawi’s oldest party, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which ruled the country between 1964 and 1994 under Hastings Banda’s one-party rule.

Kenya and Malawi enjoy historical diplomatic relations that have existed since the two countries became independent.

Being members of several organizations including the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the two countries have a lot in common.

Kenya and Malawi relations have also been enhanced by exchange of high-level visits between the two countries. In 1999, a Framework Agreement on Economic and Technical Co-operation was signed thereby establishing a Joint Commission.

This co-operation between the two countries has been concretized through meetings of the Joint Kenya/Malawi Joint Permanent Commission.

Trade between Kenya and Malawi has continued to register steady growth over the years and is attributed to the launch of the COMESA Free Trade Area in 2001, bilateral arrangements between the two countries and promotional activities by the mission.

Kenyan investors in Malawi include Kenya Airways which operates daily flights to Lilongwe via Lusaka. There are other Kenyan nationals who have invested in various sectors including manufacturing, farming, hospitality, food processing and Information technology.