India-Kenya Bilateral Relations

Context: Kenya and India to forge Bilateral Collaboration in space. The focus will be on expanding Africa’s space capabilities in
climate change and food security challenges.

India-Kenya relations

A brief history of India-Kenya relations

• There was an established trade network that connected India and the Swahili Coast (includes modern-day Kenya, Tanzania, and parts of Mozambique) before the arrival of Europeans.
• This network facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas between the two regions, including spreading Islam and Indian culture to the Swahili Coast.
• It was largely maintained by Arab and Persian traders who transported goods such as gold, ivory, and slaves in exchange for textiles, spices, and other luxury items in India.
• During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both countries were under the British Empire’s control.
• They have a shared history of fighting against the oppressive and exploitative rule of colonial powers.
• In 1948, before Kenya’s independence, India established the office of Commissioner for British East Africa residents in Nairobi.
• After the independence of Kenya in 1963, India elevated the position of the Commissioner to that of a High Commission, officially upgrading diplomatic relations between the two countries.
• India later also set up an Assistant High Commission in Mombasa, the second-largest city in Kenya.
• The India-Kenya Trade Agreement was signed in 1981, under which both countries accorded each other Most Favored Nation status.
• The India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was set up at the Ministerial level in 1983.

Development Cooperation and Capacity Building

• India offers development assistance to Kenya in the form of loans and credit.
• Joint efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and to consolidate economic collaboration during the postCOVID-19 period.
• According to the Kenya Investment Authority (Ken Invest), India is the second largest investor in Kenya.
• Over 400 Kenyan nationals enrol in training and scholarship programmes every year in various fields under
the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.

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