Kenyan First Lady Margaret Kenyatta will participate along with her US counterpart, Melania Trump, in an initial round of talks today between the countriesโ presidents, the White House said on Monday.
President Donald Trumpโs schedule lists a 20-minute bilateral meeting starting at 1:55pm Washington time that will involve the two women as well as the US and Kenyan leaders.
Mr and Mrs Trump are earlier scheduled to welcome Mr and Mrs Kenyatta to the White House in a 10-minute ceremony commencing at 1:45 pm, according to the White House.
Mr Trump and Mr Kenyatta will have โan expanded bilateral meetingโ set to last 45 minutesโ from 2:15 pm to 3 pm, the White House announced.
Mr and Mrs Kenyatta are then scheduled to depart from the White House at 3pm.
Todayโs meetings coincide with a report in Mondayโs Financial Times that Mr Trump had described Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, 75, as โlifelessโ shortly after the two men met at the White House in April.
Mr Trump stated that he did not want to meet ever again with someone exhibiting that trait, the London-based newspaper reported, citing three unnamed sources for the disclosure.
If Mr Kenyatta offers a more vigorous presence at todayโs meeting, that could be a positive prospect for US-Kenya relations, the Financial Times suggested.
The newspaperโs story included this passage:
โโTrump likes chemistry,โโ said a person in touch both with senior US administration officials and the Kenya delegation preparing for Mondayโs meeting.
โAfrica has never been high on his radar but if the big guy likes you heโll find a way to make things work.โโ
-nation.co.ke