The KQ Boeing 777-300ER was christened ‘Maasai Mara’.Photo/ COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 4 – The government is committed to improving infrastructure that will ease movement of people, goods and services.
President Uhuru Kenyatta says that his government has prioritised transport and logistics with the aim of reducing costs of transportation within and out of the country.
Kenyatta says that this will unlock the great potential of Kenya’s economy and transform people’s lives.
He says the ongoing infrastructure projects that include, the Lamu Port, South Sudan, and Ethiopia programme (LAPSSET) and the standard gauge railway will increase investments in the country.
“We are committed to improving infrastructure so that stakeholders like Kenya Airways can deliver a quality service and play their part in growing the economy, we welcome this investment by Kenya Airways,” he said.
Kenyatta was speaking at the aircraft naming ceremony for the new Kenya Airways Boeing 777-300ER at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The new Boeing 777-300ER is the biggest aircraft for the airline and will commence direct flights from Nairobi to Guangzhou three times a week from November.
He hailed the investment, pointing out that it will deepen trade connections with the world through long haul flights.
“This will result in the growth of trade, tourism and other forms of interaction with other parts of the world, that is important for two of our priorities as a government – to attract investment and to create jobs,” he said.
He says this presents a golden chance to deepen bilateral partnership with China, which is one of Kenya’s leading cultural, diplomatic and economic development partners.
“The introduction of direct flights to China is part of our strategy to continually strengthen our ties with the Far East. During my State visit to the People’s Republic of China not too long ago, I was seized with the subject of deeper relations, and especially people-to-people contact, which is at the heart of stronger partnerships, Our desire is to attract just 0.1 per cent of China’s vast population to Kenya, as tourists,” he said.
