Deputy President David Mabuza arrives in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Thursday on a working visit and to attend the Madaraka Day (Freedom Day) celebrations, marking the day when Kenya gained independence from Britain in 1963. 

South Africa and Kenya enjoy strong bilateral relations, with the two countries’ heads of state meeting on the margins of various international and multilateral engagements to discuss matters of mutual interest. South Africa also undertook a state visit to Kenya in 2016. 

Following his re-election in November 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta undertook a working visit to South Africa at the beginning of this year to attend the ruling African National Congress's annual anniversary celebrations in East London.

The latest engagement forms the basis for the invitation to the deputy president from Kenya's governing Jubilee Party to strengthen party-to-party relations as well as trade and economic relations on the occasion of the Madaraka Day celebrations.

During the working visit, it is envisaged that Kenyatta and Mabuza will discuss issues of mutual concern, including the proposed reform initiatives of the African Union, the ongoing security challenges in South Sudan and Somalia, as well as mutually beneficial economic opportunities between the two countries.