Jill Biden visits Namibia, Kenya in push to counter China
US first lady Jill Biden is set to touch down in Namibia as part of the intensifying push by Washington to identify with Africa in response to sustained moves by China to bankroll mega projects besides thriving trade across the 54-member continent.
After Namibia, Biden will travel to Nairobi, Kenya, in her five-day visit that is modelled to help empower women, the young people while also tackling food insecurity.
She is set to will highlight issues around women, youth and food insecurity in Kenya and the Horn of Africa, an area grappling with the worst drought in a-half-decade. Her engagement with top government officials will also focus on cementing ties between Washington and her hosts.
The latest trade data between the US and sub-Saharan Africa totaled $44.9 billion in 2021, a 22 percent jump from 2019. However, direct investment eased by 5.3 percent to $30.3 billion in 2021 at a time when business between Africa and China surged to $254 billion, up about 35 percent.
In December last year, President Joe Biden hosted African leaders in Washington for a summit where he said the US is “all in” on the continent’s future and announced that he, his wife, the vice president, and several members of his Cabinet would be travelling to Africa this year. He joked that the leaders would get tired of hosting everyone.
“This whole trip will be exciting and we have a lot to accomplish,” she said. Granddaughter Naomi Biden is accompanying the first lady on the trip.
