Regional peace, technology top German president’s visit to Kenya

Germany was the first country to recognize Kenya after independence in 1963 creating deep diplomatic relations between the two countries. Since then, the two countries have a retained a warm and cordial tradition of close partnership and relations between them. Kenya, the East African economic hub has maintained a diplomatic mission in Germany since 1964. The embassy was initially in Bonn, West Germany and later moved to Berlin after Germany’s unification. Fourth largest source of tourists There are several thousand Kenyans living permanently in Germany while a number of Germans enjoy Kenya’s hospitality with many of them living in the country especially along the coast. This is the second visit by a German president after the first by President Heinrich Lauda of then West Germany in 1966. The other high profile visit was by German Chancellor Angela Merkel where she met former President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga on a tour to begin the newly incepted 'Afrika-Konzept'. Germany is Kenya’s fourth-largest source of tourists and to show how cordial the relationship between the two countries is, Germany does not issue travel advisories to Kenya, unlike other European countries. Kenya’s special relationship with Germany has seen a meeting with