BBC Monitoring Service
October 13, 2009
Source: The Standard website, Nairobi, in English 13 Oct 09
Text of report by Ally Jamah entitled ” Kenya gets into ties with North Korean republic” published by Kenyan privately-owned daily newspaper The Standard website on 13 October
Kenya has established diplomatic relations with North Korea.
North Korean Ambassador Pak Hyon Jae presented his diplomatic credentials yesterday to President Kibaki at State House, Nairobi, before proceeding to a luncheon hosted by Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula at the Intercontinental Hotel. He, however, declined to speak to the media during and after the ceremony.
Also feted in the same luncheon were diplomatic representatives from Trinidad and Tobago, Niger, Qatar and Sierra Leone.
North Korean leader Kim Jong II never travels outside the country and maintains a strict centralized military state. In the past 60 years, the country has been technically at war with the USA over its nuclear and military capabilities.
In his speech, Mr Wetang’ula expressed support for North Korea’s nuclear programme if peaceful and non-military, adding Kenya was also seeking nuclear technology to generate energy for its expanding economy.
“We welcome North Korea to Kenya, just as we welcome any other nations, because we have so much to exchange and share,” he said. But Wetang’ula was quick to dismiss suggestions that Kenya could borrow nuclear technology from North Korea to generate energy for the country.
“If we need nuclear power we don’t have to go to North Korea alone, we are in friendly terms with many nuclear states, who are too happy to share with us,” he said. He said the University of Nairobi was doing good work in preparations to introduce nuclear energy into mass use in the country.
The North Korean mission will be managed from Kampala, Uganda, where the country maintains a full diplomatic presence. The USA, one of Kenya’s key allies in military and economic fronts, has no diplomatic relations with North Korea.
Here is the location of the North Korean Embassy in Kampala.
Here is their address/contact info:
10, Prince Charles Drive, Kololo
PO Box 5885
Kampala, Uganda
Phone: +256-41-2546033, +256-41-343424
Fax: +256-41-250224