Poland in Kenya

- Poland appreciates the influential position of Kenya on the African continent and recognizes its economic potential. We are particularly interested in revitalizing the political dialogue, also in the context of Kenya's current non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

As a country that, since the introduction of difficult reforms more than 30 years ago, has achieved significant economic success and used advanced technologies, including banking, digitization of health care services or increasing tax collection in that process, we have a lot to offer – emphasized Minister Paweł Jabłoński during a bilateral meeting with his Kenyan counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Ababu Namwamba.

In addition to meeting at the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński, together with the Chairman of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, Mr. Janusz Janiszewski, held a meeting with the Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works, Mr. Christopher Obure, and with the Chairman of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Joseph Nkadayo. Among other things, the possibilities of establishing Polish-Kenyan cooperation in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle traffic management were discussed. The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency owns the most modern technological solutions in the EU in the field of drones and has experience in the regulatory sphere, which it is ready to share with its Kenyan counterpart.

- We are proud of the achievements of the Kenyan firefighters who, also thanks to Polish support, now have better training facilities and are gradually improving their skills – emphasized Minister Jabłoński during his visit to the Fire and Rescue Training Center in Kiambu County. Created from scratch with the involvement of Polish aid funds, in cooperation with the Kenyan organization Chief Fire Officers Assocation (CFOA) and the Polish Center for International Aid Foundation (PCPM), the center is the only professional training facility for fire services in all of East Africa. Since 2014, more than 60 percent of the Kenyan firefighters were trained within that project, which in turn has tripled their number across the country. Polish aid also financed and implemented a structured program of their education, which significantly improved the effectiveness of the rescue operations in Kenya.

The deputy chief of Polish diplomacy also met with representatives of the Polish community in Kenya, Polish missionaries and Kenyan graduates of Polish universities. He also visited the National Museum of Kenya, which, as part of one of its exhibitions, commemorates the activities of Mr. Leon Barański, co-founder of Polish banking system in the interwar years, and the organizer and first governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (1966-1967).

MFA Press Office

Photos: Richard Kyule / PCPM