Kenya woos U.S. investors with Kerry's visit

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta have called on United States (U.S.) business community to invest in Kenya which he termed as "a gateway to Africa," after holding talks with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the capital Nairobi. "Secretary Kerry sought to know how business friendly Kenya's economy is and areas where U.S. companies can invest in," Kenyatta said.

The president said his government wants to see more U.S. companies investing in Kenya, especially in the areas of Information and Communication Technology and innovation, energy, infrastructure and healthcare.

There are massive opportunities for investment in green energy and Kenya has the capacity to provide half of Africa's geothermal energy needs, he added.

"We want to build an entrepreneurial spirit and want to bring prosperity to our people. To do this we are ready to partner with the Americans to invest in our country to create more wealth and jobs," said he.

Kenya, he said, is ranked high in terms of having the best business environment - "a favorite destination for foreign investors."

During the meeting, Kenyatta and Kerry discussed counter- terrorism cooperation, investment and U.S. President Barack Obama's July visit to Kenya - his father's native.

Trade between Kenya and the U.S. has been on the rise with bilateral relations strengthened.

Kenya's exports and imports from the U.S. rose to an all-time high of 389 million dollars in July 2014, with the U.S. being the biggest source of goods for Kenya, official figures show.

Kerry arrived in Kenya on Sunday for a two-day visit. Endi