Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo: Government of Kenya.

Uhuru Kenyatta

President of Kenya

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year announced his intention to travel to central Africa this summer, in what would mark the first visit by an Israeli leader in 50 years.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta issued the invitation to Netanyahu, and met with him in Israel earlier this year, at which time the two leaders signed a joint statement focusing on water and agricultural issues, promoting cooperation and establishing a joint bilateral committee.

Netanyahu said at the launch of a new Knesset caucus to promote Israel-Africa ties that he intended to visit Kenya “around the 40th anniversary of the raid on Entebbe …  a dramatic national event with great personal consequence for me.”

Operation Entebbe was a daring operation to liberate Israeli hostages in Uganda on July 4, 1976. Netanyahu’s brother Yonatan, who led the Israeli commandos, was killed in action. Netanyahu is expected to visit Uganda on the trip as well.