Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the domestic situation in Kenya.

Kenya remains a beacon of stability in Africa, even though it has had a challenging year, contending with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts, drought, severe flooding and two waves of locusts. The economic toll of COVID-19 has been significant, particularly for Kenya's tourism industry, and agricultural and horticultural export sectors. Above normal rainfall - the result of climate change - has helped create the conditions for Kenya's worst locust infestation in 70 years, potentially plunging millions into food insecurity. Through this, the UK has provided much needed support: launching programmes providing cash transfers to help some of Kenya's most vulnerable citizens; by keeping supply chains operating; advising business on how to operate in a COVID-19 compliant manner; and working closely with the IMF and the World Bank to provide concessional loans to support the Government of Kenya's budget. This work has noticeably contributed to the recovery of key export sectors and bolstered Kenya's response to the locust infestation, preventing further damage to crops and livelihoods.

With the Prime Minister and President Kenyatta's launch of the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership in January, an already strong bilateral relationship has been enhanced by an agreed focus on five shared priorities: mutual prosperity; security and stability; sustainable development; climate change; and people to people links. This has helped deliver swift progress towards a Trade Agreement, which will help bring certainty to Kenyan businesses reliant on access to UK markets. It has also deepened our security cooperation - particularly in the field of counter-terrorism - to better protect Kenyan citizens and British nationals in Kenya alike. This Partnership commits the UK and Kenya to joint leadership on some of the key international policy challenges of today - such as climate change, whose harmful impacts are already evident in Kenya - but also provides a forum to discuss other priorities, including anti-corruption and police reform. We look forward to building on these achievements in UK/Kenyan relations.