- During the event scheduled for September 13 to 14 in Berlin, Kenya will be seeking to reinforce cultural ties and boost tourism as well as trade and investment opportunities.
- It will be the first time that an African nation is taking centre stage at the two-day cultural event whose theme is "Pamoja - Stronger Together."
Image: HANDOUT
Kenya is set to make history as the first non-European country to participate in Germany’s Annual Citizen’s Festival, Bürgerfest.
Kenya will seek to reinforce cultural ties and boost tourism as well as trade and investment opportunities during the event scheduled for September 13 to 14 in Berlin.
It will be the first time an African nation is taking centre stage at the two-day cultural event whose theme is "Pamoja - Stronger Together".
Foreign Affairs PS Foreign Korir Sing'oei said the event is a tangible and visible milestone in the growing relations between Kenya and Germany, spanning more than 60 years.
“Kenya views Germany as an indispensable partner in our ongoing journey to entrench sustainable development, shared prosperity and stability. During this event, we shall have an opportunity to highlight our unique culture — including food, music and investment opportunities — to approximately 13,000 people drawn from Germany and the larger European region,” Sing'oei said.
“Since 1963, we have built robust cooperation with Germany in various areas of mutual interest including green energy and climate action; digital cooperation; skills development and labour; and regional and international peace and security. We are eager to leverage the Bürgerfest platform to promote trade, investment, tourism, culture and people-to-people links."
Germany is a leading foreign direct investor given the presence of more than 100 German companies in the country, with investments worth Sh150 billion.
Nairobi also hosts the largest office globally for the German Agency for International Cooperation and the regional office of Germany's top trade promotion agency, AHK.
Tourism PS John Ololtua expressed enthusiasm for leveraging cultural diplomacy to strengthen ties between Kenya and Germany.
He underscored the role of cultural exchanges in promoting understanding and cooperation, citing initiatives such as the Goethe Institute in Nairobi and the Nairobi International Film Festival as key platforms for engagement.
Ololtua said the event will also provide an opportunity to grow tourist arrivals.
"In the last financial year, Kenya attracted 81,359 German tourists compared to 66,064 in the previous year marking a 23.2 per cent growth. We want to build on this momentum and see the Bürgerfest as an opportunity to accelerate this growth,” he said.
The German Presidency holds the Annual Citizen’s Festival in Schloss Bellevue, the official residence, to celebrate cultural diversity and recognize the service of German nationals engaged in philanthropic work.
Each year, the German Presidency chooses a partner country to showcase its culture at the Citizen’s Festival.
Kenya’s selection as the first non-European country to be featured was based on the long-standing diplomatic and economic ties with Germany.
The first day of the event is attended by about 5,000 guests including the Federal President while the second day is open to the public, attracting more than 13,000 people.
Kenya Tourism Board CEO June Chepkemei underscored Kenya's growing popularity as a destination for German and European tourists.
On the sidelines of the Bürgerfest, Kenya and Germany will sign a labour agreement that will facilitate the migration of technical and skilled labour for TVET to work in enterprises in Germany.