Wednesday, May 29, 2024 – It appears President William Ruto’s charm offensive to woo more American investors to Kenya during his last week’s state visit to the U.S. did not impress everyone.
This is after US-based Global Aerospace Company, Boeing, turned down Kenya’s bid to host its Africa headquarters despite numerous efforts to court the company.
Kenya missed out on a lucrative deal after Boeing selected Ethiopia as the preferred country to host its African headquarters.
Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia were in the race to host the continental offshoot but the American giant eventually settled on Ethiopia for its aviation safety record, which places it amongst the best in Africa.
In preparation for the move, the US aerospace company had appointed Henok Shawl to lead its Africa division.
Shawl, who formerly served at Ethiopian Airlines, was picked for his vast experience in the aviation and telecommunication sector. His rich experience in Africa also counted in his favour.
"Africa's abundant natural resources and burgeoning young workforce are poised to drive significant growth in air traffic and airplane demand over the next two decades," read the statement in part.
Boeing is a leading aerospace company that designs, manufactures and services commercial planes.
The company projects that African carriers will require an estimated 1,030 new aircraft in the next 20 years to uphold international standards.
Ethiopia now gains a significant reputation as a key diplomatic hub in the continent as it already hosts the African Union's (AU) headquarters.
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