President Salva Kiir and President Uhuru Kenyatta in May 2019 at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, for the National Prayer Breakfast | Credit | Presidential press unit

President Salva Kiir is expected to travel to Nairobi today for bilateral talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kiir who will be accompanied by a delegation from South Sudan will received by President Uhuru at the State House, “where he will be accorded full State reception honors.”

According to the Kenyan state media, KBC, the two leaders will lead their respective delegations in bilateral talks before conducting a joint press briefing.

Two weeks ago, South Sudan and Kenya signed Memorandum of Understanding to fast track the territorial border reaffirmation at Ilemi triangle as a step towards the realization of peace between the two countries.

Both sides agreed to launch the first ever joint commission to enhance trade and bilateral relations.

The Nairobi meeting which begins Monday will see the two sides negotiate a number of instruments to govern trade and investment.

Kenya’s State House spokesperson, Kanze Dena-Mararo said the teams will also review the security and management of the border of the two countries.

She said they will also discuss how to fast-track the implementation of the peace process in South Sudan and how Kenya could cooperate on regional infrastructure development.

Kenya is among the main guarantors of the revitalized peace agreement.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and former Sudanese President Omar al Bashir led the mediation process for the current peace agreement.

Kiir’s trip to Nairobi is also expected to highlight the inter-ethnic conflict in the Ilemi triangle between the Toposa, Turkana in Kenya, and Nyang’atom of Ethiopia.

The Ilemi Triangle is a mineral rich area near Nadapal, and is a territory claimed by South Sudan and Kenya.

Kenya has de facto control of part of the area, and has deployed Military and paramilitary in the area, saying the move is in response to cattle rustling and cross-border insecurity among Turkana, Toposa, Didinga, Nyangatom, Dessanach of Ethiopia and Karamajong of Uganda.

But South Sudan say the territory was never legally transferred to Kenya by a 1936 undertaking that allowed the British colonial governor of Kenya to administer it on behalf of the then colonial authorities in Juba. The territory was retained by Kenya after Sudan’s independence in 1956.

Read related story: https://www.eyeradio.org/s-sudan-kenya-sign-new-mou-on-illemi-and-cross-border-relations/

Kiir last month visited Kenya where he attended the prayer breakfast event organized by President Kenyatta.

The President used the three day visit to also condole with former Kenyan President, Daniel Arap Moi who had just lost his son.