US First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Kenya on Friday for a visit focused on the record-breaking drought, the worst in 40 years currently affecting the Horn of Africa.
Five consecutive rainy seasons have killed millions of livestock, destroyed crops and 22 million people are at risk of hunger in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
The first lady arrived from Namibia, the first leg of a two-day tour meant to strengthen ties with the continent, to which the Biden administration dedicated a summit in December.
During this summit, President Joe Biden called for creating a broad partnership with Africa, as the United States seeks to assert its presence on the continent in the face of Chinese investment.
Several billion dollars worth of projects over the coming years have been announced there.
Listened to as equals
In Kenya, Jill Biden, a 71-year-old former teacher, will also focus on women and youth.
In Namibia, the first lady declared that Washington wanted to hold an "
equal to equal
" dialogue with African countries, particularly within international organizations.
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“
We are committed to ensuring that African countries not only have voices in organizations such as the UN Security Council and the G20, but that these partners are heard as equals,”
said Ms Biden in a presidential address in the capital Windhoek.
This is her first trip to Africa as First Lady of the United States.
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