President Bush Welcomes President Kibaki of Kenya to White House
Remarks by President Bush and President Kibaki of the Republic of Kenya at State Arrival Ceremony
The South Grounds
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, Madam First Lady, members of the
Kenyan delegation -- (applause) -- on behalf of the American people,
Laura and I are pleased to welcome you to the United States.
(Applause.) This is the first state visit by the leader of an African
country during my administration -- (applause) -- and the first visit
of President Kibaki since his historic election last year. (Applause.)
Under President Kibaki's leadership, Kenya is pursuing important
reforms, and making the difficult and necessary and rewarding
transition to permanent, multiparty democracy. Mr. President, your
courage serves the Kenyan people well, and you honor the American
people with your visit. (Applause.)
Kenya is a nation of rich traditions and ancient history. The
Great Rift Valley, which runs through Eastern Kenya from Lake Rudolf to
Lake Victoria, is known as the "cradle of civilization." The story of
Kenya is inseparable from the story of mankind. And out of this proud
past, Kenya is building a modern, prosperous and peaceful future. In
building that future, Kenya will have a partner in the United States.
(Applause.)
Our countries face common challenges and we meet them with shared
values. Both our nations are threatened by terrorists and both have
suffered. In one savage act five years ago in Nairobi, members of the
al Qaeda network murdered more than 200 Kenyans and Americans. Our
countries grieved together then, and after September the 11th, and
after the attack last November in Mombasa.
Yet we have done more than grieve. We are working together to
defeat the terrorists, to cut off their funding, to deny them
sanctuary, and to bring them to justice. There can be no compromise
with this evil, and the government of Kenya is a vital ally in the
ongoing war against terror. (Applause.)
We're also working together to create a better world, to end
long-simmering conflicts, and to alleviate the suffering caused by
poverty and hunger and disease. Our goal is to end the hopelessness
that feeds terror, and to help spread the blessings of liberty that are
the birthright of every man, woman, and child on this Earth.
The partnership between our nations is sustained by the friendship
between our people. Some 7,000 Americans live in Kenya. Thousands of
our citizens love to travel to Kenya. One of the Peace Corps' largest
programs is in Kenya, helping to encourage private enterprise, to fight
AIDS, and to improve the nation's schools.
Every year, thousands of Kenyans come to study at American
universities, more than from any other African country, including two
of the President's children. (Applause.) And the United States is
enriched by the many Americans who trace their ancestry to Kenya, many
of whom live right here in Washington. Kenya and the United States
have been friends since the days of Jomo Kenyatta and John F. Kennedy.
Mr. President, I'm proud to join you in carrying our friendship
forward in this new century. Welcome to the White House, and welcome
to the United States of America. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT KIBAKI: Mr. President, thank you for your kind remarks.
I wish to thank you for -- Mr. President, the government and the people
of the United States, for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to
me and my delegation since our arrival. I feel privileged to have been
accorded such a great honor and look forward to successful
deliberations on matters of mutual interest to our two nations.
Mr. President, Kenya values the warm and cordial friendship that
exists between the two nations. Following our successful democratic
elections last December, my government is determined to uphold
democratic values, human rights, good governance and the rule of law,
and to empower our people. (Applause.)
We thank the government and the people of the United States for
supporting Kenya to achieve democratic change. Mr. President, we are
committed to deepening our ties with the United States.
I commend you for your various initiatives for supporting
development in Africa, and in particular, the recent announcement of
$15 billion U.S. assistance in the fight against HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, malaria, of which Kenya is a beneficiary. (Applause.)
We equally welcome your personal efforts in promoting trade and
investment opportunities through AGOA. (Applause.) Your recent
announcement of the Millennium Change Account Initiative will help
promote sustainable development in Africa.
Mr. President, our two nations have been victims of international
terrorism. Kenya stands with the United States and the international
community in fight against this global menace, in our conviction that
no just cause can be served by taking away innocent lives.
Finally, Mr. President, I look forward to fruitful discussions on
the various issues affecting our two nations, the Horn of Africa, and
the international community. (Applause.)