Ivan Lewis (Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Bury South, Labour)

The Government have good relations with the Government of Kenya. Our two countries are bound together by strong historic links, reinforced by a Kenyan diaspora of an estimated 130,000 in the UK. We support the Kenyan government's political reform process and stress the importance of credible action to strengthen governance. We are one of the largest bilateral aid donors to Kenya and also have strong trade, investment, tourism and military relationships. We share common interests in tackling regional and international security issues. Kenya's progress on political and socio-economic reform has an impact on the vitality of these relationships. That is why we are encouraging and supporting the National Accord which sets out a framework of action to address issues that threaten Kenya's stability and prosperity. These include constitutional, electoral, police and judicial reform, while tackling the entrenched culture of impunity related to corruption and violence.

We work closely with EU partners to coordinate support and engagement with the Kenyan Government and others active in the reform process. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary attended the EU General Affairs Council Meeting in Brussels in late July 2009 where Council Conclusions on Kenya were agreed. The conclusions highlighted the need for faster implementation of reforms vital to the interests of the Kenyan people, while acknowledging the importance of Kenya's partnership with the EU in addressing issues of regional significance, such as piracy. With our EU partners and other like-minded countries we are continuing to support Kenya's political reform process.