Why Iran President Was Forced to Cancel Meeting With Ruto

Today from the latest update,the Iran President has cancelled his visit to meet Ruto. It was also revealed that the current tension ahead of tomorrow’s protests seems to be the cause for the meeting to be cancelled.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has canceled his visit to Kenya.  

Speaking to a media house State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed confirmed that the planned visit would be rescheduled at a later date. 

Raisi was set to tour Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe for a three-day official tour, the first such trip by an Iranian President in 11 years. 

According to an official communication from the State House Press Secretary, Emmanuel Talam, journalists had been invited to State House for a joint press briefing at 9:00 am. 

Following the announcement, critics argued whether the incident would affect the bilateral ties between the two countries. 

After receiving an official invitation from President William Ruto, the two heads of state were set to engage in discussions pertaining to key areas, including trade expansion, energy, agriculture, and technology.

The duo was also expected to sign co-operation agreements to seal the trade links with Iran’s delegation which comprised the foreign minister as well as influential business people.

On Monday, July 10, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanani hailed the trip as a turning point for both countries as it would bolster economic ties with African nations.

He also indicated that the harmonious relations between the two countries were a result of common political views. 

He added Iran’s commitment to step up diplomacy in a bid to offset the impact of sanctions imposed in 2018 owing to the withdrawal of the United States from a nuclear deal. 

Kenya and Iran enjoy trade relations with the latter importing an average of Ksh2 billion worth of tea, and Ksh57 million of coffee – according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (the world’s leading data visualization tool for international trade data).