News from the Embassy of Belgium in Nairobi

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Embassy of Belgium Limuru Road - PO Box 30461 - NairobiM nairobi@diplobel.fed.beT +254 (0)708 036 674www.kenya.diplomatie.belgium.be

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NewsletterEmbassy of Belgium in Kenya

—

May 2018

A word from the Ambassador—

Dear Belgians and Kenyans,

Dear friends of Belgium,

Never a dull moment in Nairobi. In February, I handedover my credentials to the President of the Comorosand to the President of Madagascar, a country withwhich Belgium recently signed an agreement for astate to state loan to build solar power plants. As atradition, the embassy also supported the SafaricomJazz Festival.In March, I visited for the first time the Port ofMombasa and, together with our Trade CommissionerIvan Korsak, welcomed students of the Universty ofBrussels (VUB) who came here in order to makemarket researches on behalf of 20 Belgiancompanies. I also welcomed our Vice-Prime MinisterAlexander De Croo for a visit of the start-up scene. Ithen moved in the Karura residence with my family.April was particularly devoted to our dealings with UNEnvironment (UNEP) and the new Kenyan MFAofficials, and, together with other Europeancolleagues, to relaunch the political dialoguebetween Kenya and the UE. We also focused onhuman resources, as five members of our staff willleave us in this summer. The Embassy will thusundergo some sort of lifting. I really much hope thatthe transition will be smooth and am looking forwardto present to you new faces in the next edition of thisnewsletter.

Best regards,

Nicolas Nihon

Consular News—

Elections in BelgiumIn 2019, Federal and European elections are takingplace in Belgium.The envelopes with the registration forms can beretrieved as of today in the embassy and honoraryconsulates during the office hours. Do not forget tobring your Belgian identity card or passport (or give itto your representative if you have the envelopepicked up by a third person)For more information, please refer to the website ofForeign Affairs via this link (FR) (NL)Note that the information is only available in French,Dutch or German. Don't hesitate to contact us if youneed assistance. EU Consular Day in MombasaFor the sixth time already, the consular working groupof the EU member states in Nairobi organized theirannual meeting with the honorary consuls of thevarious EU member states in Mombasa. The mainpurpose of these plenary sessions is to obtaininsights in the situation in Mombasa with the focus onsafety and crime; and to discuss specific problemsthe honorary consuls are confronted with when theyassist our compatriots.

Travel adviceBelgian visitors to Kenya are advised to register theirtrip on Travellers online! Our Travel advice is updated regularly but it is a goodpractice to follow the international and local news.

Embassy opening hoursthe opening hours for the different consular servicesand closure dates of the embassy can be found onour website kenya.diplomatie.belgium.be

Diplomatic News—Young diplomat Noëmi Ral takes the oathThere is no place with more grandeur than the freshlyrenovated residence for the oath of young diplomatNoëmi Ral who ended her 2 year trainee period inMarch. Noëmi is now officially a full-fledged diplomatwith strong interests in human rights, Kenyan politics,Madagascar, but also in swimming with sea turtles inWatamu and Swahili catch phrases.

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Alexander De Croo in the «Silicon Savannah"Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for DevelopmentCooperation and Digital Agenda Alexander De Croo,made a short but intense visit to Nairobi on 22 and 23March. It is no coincidence that the organizers of theMission, Close the Gap & Startups.be, brought theminister and 40 Belgian startups, companies andNGOs to the capital of Kenya. The city is indeed oneof the most important technical hubs in Africa with athriving start-up scene. Here, a whole generation ofyoung people with fresh ideas and innovations havestarted setting up their own technology companiesthat solve local problems and create jobs. Kenya haslearned that digitization and a dynamic private sectorare crucial factors for sustainable development. It isexactly that approach that Belgium supports throughthe Digital 4 Development platform.The Kenyan Minister of ICT and techie JosephMucheru opened the event in Metta co-working spacewhere start-up companies presented the vibranttechnical landscape of Kenya. CS Mucheru was veryenthusiastic about meeting Minister De Croo withwhom he shared the same ambition and bestpractices with regards to e-gov, mobile money andtelecom.

Public Diplomacy—

Do you know G-STIC?G-STIC stands for Global Sustainable Technology &Innovation Conference Series. It is an annual forumheld in Brussels that brings together decision-makers,researchers and developers. Their goal is to highlighttechnologies that can implement the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) and the Paris ClimateAgreements. Six institutes around the world are at theorigin of this initiative, among which VITO (VlaamseInstelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek). On the 3rdof May our compatriot Veerle Vandeweerd, PolicyDirector of G-STIC, organized an information sessionwith the Embassies of Belgium and Brazil at theUnited Nations Headquarters in Nairobi to raiseawareness among Member States about the nextedition of this conference (G-STIC-2018) which willtake place from November 28 to 30. During theinformation session in Nairobi, a few Kenyan start-upsexplained how existing technologies can offer botheffective and realistic solutions and have a positiveeconomic and social impact. "Mobi-Water" forexample is a project launched in the slum of Kibera.The project aims to improve access to drinking waterfor the population by controlling the water level ofreservoirs and sending real time information aboutthe water availability by telephone or computer.

The Belgian Corner—

Easter BrunchOn the 9th of April, our consul Hilde Van Inthoudtinvited the Belgian families in Kenya to a deliciousEaster brunch. Needless to say that the egg hunt wasa big success amongst the chocolate loving children(and their parents!)

Alumni of Belgium in Kenya.On the 16th of March, Consul Hilde van Inthoudtorganised a networking event at Nairobi Serena Hotelfor the alumni of Belgium in Kenya. HonorableJudge Wanjala, who studied at KUL, gave aninspiring speech at the event that was attended bymany enthusiastic alumni who enjoyed the Belgianbeers and African tunes after the key notes ofambassador Nihon. Belgium already welcomed morethan 400 brilliant Kenyan students and the alumninetwork keeps growing.Alumni of Belgium who want to learn more about thenetwork can send an email to Alumni-BelgiumKenya@hotmail.com

Belgian Club KenyaFIFA World CupThe Belgian Red Devils will be playing their firstmatch in the FIFA World Cup against Panama on the18th of June. Joel Darche from Grill City Catering &Events invites all the Belgian fans to watch togetherthe different games of the Red Devils in Belgian style.More information will be shared shortly by the BelgianClub calendar. Ambassador Nihon promised toorganise a screening in July if our Red Devils make itto the semi-finals!!! Let's show those Belgian coloursand support our players!!!

Save the date:Belgian National Day 21st of July @ Qué Pasa bar.On Saturday 21st of July, on behalf of the BelgianDefence, our Defence Attaché at Nairobi, ColonelClaude Van Der Donckt, invites all Belgians for adrink and a snack to celebrate our National Dayat Qué Pasa bar by Paul Van Brussel in Karen . Aseparate invitation will be sent next month.

Belgian Club goes safariAlways wanted to visit Loisaba Conservancy? Thanks to our fellow countryman Patrick Dessy, theBelgian Club is invited to spend an interestingweekend at Loisiaba Tented Camp with many funactivities such as a wildlife discovering game, atreasure hunt nature walk or a game drive with mapand clues and astronomy lessons with telescope. Theweekend will probably take place end of October. TheBelgian Club will confirm the dates and send moredetails soon.

Did you know...?—

... that the design of the residence of Belgium, nowrenovated after a year and a half of tireless efforts,was inspired by the Grand Trianon in Versailles. Thebuilding on Karura avenue in Muthaiga wasconstructed between 1949 and 1952 on request ofJean Pierre Pichot, a flamboyant Frenchman whoinherited a fortune from a wealthy coffee estateowner. The Kenyan architect Idris Davies had a hardtime scaling down the original grand design of Pichotto render it more practical for modern living while atthe same time ensuring it would be large enough toaccommodate the antique furniture that was to beinstalled. The Trianon on Karura soon becamesynonymous with partying and salon entertainmentsof a kind never witnessed before in East Africa. But when coffee prices dropped drastically and the flow ofmoney dried up, Pichot had to sell it all. The Trianonwas bought by an Englishman in 1955 who turned itinto an art gallery. In 1963, following Kenya'sindependence, the first Belgian ambassador to thenew Republic, Baron Eugène Rittweger de Moor,convinced the Belgian government to buy theTrianon in 1966. Monsieur Brunard, one of Belgium'smost acclaimed interior decorators then restored andrefurnished the house but fifty years later the buildingurgently needed some repairs and an upgrade to fitmodern needs.Since the end of March, the ambassador and hisfamily are bringing back some life to this magnificenthouse . Our sincere thanks to our Belgian technicalagent Stanislav Morovitch, without whom therenovation would have never come to an end.