Raila leaves for Iran

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has left the country for Iran on a two-day visit March 4, 2011. FILE  

By XinhuaPosted Friday, March 4 2011 at 15:20

NAIROBI

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has left the country for Iran on a two-day visit.

A statement from his office did not, however, indicate the purpose of the visit but noted that Mr Odinga was accompanied by Transport minister Amos Kimunya, deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Farah Maalim and business executives from the private sector. 

"The PM is expected back in the country at the end of the weekend,"  the statement said.  

The visit came two years after Kenya and Iran signed agreements during a visit to Nairobi by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

During his visit in 2009, President Ahmadinejad finalised deals on air services, tourism, post-graduate scholarships for Kenyan students, and the export of beef to Iran, among other agreements.

Iran is one of the leading importers of Kenyan tea, while it also exports industrial oils, carpets and chemicals to Kenya.