Kagame in Kenya - a day late

Rwanda's Kagame finds his way to Nairobi a day later

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has arrived in Nairobi for an official visit, after failing to appear on Thursday due to flight problems.

His meeting with Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi is intended to build on a growing rapprochement between the two countries which have previously had a frosty relationship.

Mr Kagame, who jetted into Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta international airport on Friday morning, inspected a guard of honour before proceeding for talks with Mr Moi at Nairobi's state house.

Mr Kagame's state visit has now been shortened from three to two days.

Itinerary

President Moi's Press Service said Mr Kagame will now not visit the Kenyan port of Mombasa through which Rwanda's imports and exports pass.

Instead, the Rwandan president will lay a wreath at the mausoleum of the founding Kenyan President, the late Jomo Kenyatta.

He will also tour the memorial park dedicated to the victims of the August 1998 US embassy bombing.

Moi in Kigali recently: Courting friendship

A government statement said the purpose of Mr Kagame's visit to Kenya was to promote trade and cement relations between the two countries.

Many are, however, curious over what they see as President Moi's sudden change of heart towards the Tutsi-led Kigali government.

Mr Moi is known to have been a close ally of Rwanda's former President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, who was killed in April 1994.

Kenya became a safe haven for Hutu extremists suspected of ordering genocide in Rwanda.

Congo war

But recently President Moi mended ties with Rwanda's new Tutsi-led government, and permitted the arrests of half a dozen genocide suspects by an international tribunal.

Last month, the Kenyan head of state made an unexpected one-day visit to Kigali at the height of a military showdown between Rwanda and Uganda over the eastern Congo town of Kisangani.

Mr Moi, who is known to have uneasy relations with Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, appealed for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the two countries who have sent their troops in DR Congo

President Museveni: Snubbed Moi's peace meeting

Mr Kagame said Mr Moi's visit would add weight to regional efforts to resolve the situation.

But differences between Mr Moi and Mr Museveni have been simmering ever since the Uganda leader seized power in 1986.

Two months ago, President Moi invited the Ugandan leader to a meeting in Kenya attended by Rwanda's Kagame and DR Congo President Laurent Kabila.

President Museveni did not attend.