TRUMP TO RECEIVE UHURU IN WHITE HOUSE AT 8.45PM FOR BILATERAL TALKS

President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta arrive in Washington for talks with US president Donald Trump, Sunday, August 26, 2018. /PSCU

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to arrive at the White House at 8.45pm (Kenyan time) to meet his US counterpart Donald Trump.

At 1:45pm (Washington time), Trump and his wife Melania will participate in the arrival of Uhuru and the First Lady Margaret at the South Portico.

Uhuru and the first lady will walk together with their hosts through the South Lawn to the Rose Garden before getting into the Oval Office.

At around 8:55pm (Kenyan time) the four will participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office.

After their one-on-one talk, Uhuru and Trump will go to the Cabinet Room while the first ladies will proceed to their separate meeting.

Uhuru will be accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Monica Juma (Foreign Affairs), Henry Rotich (Treasury), and James Macharia (Transport).

Others in Uhuru's delegation are Trade Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo and Majority Leaders Aden Duale (National Assembly) and Kipchumba Murkomen (Senate).

State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita and Kenyan ambassador to US Njeru Githae will also be in the meeting.

Later on, at around 9:15pm, Uhuru and Trump will be joined by their delegations of government officials for bilateral talks, which will take about 40 minutes in the Cabinet Room.

Trade and investment, regional security will top the agenda of the bilateral talks.

Trump and Melanie will then see off Uhuru and the Kenyan delegation off at the West Wing Lobby.

Uhuru will also meet executives of top US companies to promote Kenya as a preferred investment destination.

Cooperation between Kenya and the US in security, governance, trade, and investment, people to people cooperation; and partnership in regional and international matters will take centre stage during the Washington visit.

All the three Kenyan Presidents after founding father Jomo Kenyatta have been to the White House to hold bilateral talks.

Former president Mwai Kibaki visited the White House on October 6, 2003 where he was welcomed by former President George W. Bush.

The two discussed efforts in promoting trade and investment opportunities through AGOA.

They also discussed the international terrorism noting that Kenya stands with the United States in fight against the global menace.

Retired president Daniel Moi went to the White House on February 20, 1980.

President James Earl Carter met for an hour with Moi in the Cabinet Room. Moi was in Washington on a 4-day state visit at the invitation of President Carter.

The two Presidents reviewed the very close relations which exist between the United States and the Republic of Kenya.

They discussed developments in east Africa and the importance of regional cooperation and understanding in that area.