Amb. H. Mutuma Kathurima Presides Over Kenya Business Information Day, Goettingen.

Goettingen is a small German city with a population of 400,000 people. Also known as a university city, over 70% of the population is made up of the student community.

The city environment is a concentration of high-tech research and manufacturing establishments. The potential for trade, investments and tourist sourcing is great in the region.

As part of promotion of Kenya in Germany, H. E. Mr. H. Mutuma Kathurima made an extensive tour of the area which concluded with a business information session at the Goettingen branch of Hannover Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Accompanied by the Commercial Counsellor in the Embassy, Mr. Joseph N. Kosure, the Ambassador gave detailed information on investment opportunities which Germans could take advantage of. Opportunities are available in the areas of infrastructure, agro-processing and value addition, manufacturing and business out-sourcing processes. Highlights were given on Kenyan export products including cut-flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, coffee, fish, tea and many others. Germans were also invited to tour Kenya in large numbers, after being informed of the numerous and diversified tourist products Kenya offers.

Earlier H. E. the Ambassador had toured a number of companies around Goettingen accompanied by the area Federal Member of Parliament, Mr. Hartwig Fischer and the Lower Saxony State Parliamentary representative of
Goettingen, Dr. Harald Noack. Among the companies visited were ARC Resebeck GmbH, a vehicle recycling firm, Lambrecht Meterological Instrument GmbH, manufacturers of weather instruments; and Ernst Benary Samezucht GmbH, a flower seed developing and exporting company.

The Ambassador’s tour of Goettingen will be reciprocated by a business delegation from the region to Kenya in November 2006. It is expected that the delegation will focus on investment in the infrastructure especially in the housing, education, health and other social amenities sub-sectors.

Mathare Youth Sports Association (Mysa) Wins Street Football World Cup - 2006

Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) football side won the first street football World Cup in Berlin in a finale played against the project KickAIDS from South Africa on 8th July 2006. The competition which was played alongside the main World Cup ended with a completely African finale.

In front of 2,500 spectators the teams played a gripping match that was decided by penalty shots after the game had ended 2-2 in normal time.

The tournament, which ran from 2nd to 8th July 2006 and was held in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg, featured matches lasting 12 minutes with teams of five players, all aged between 16 and 21. The 22 participating teams faced each other in over 100 games. Kenyan Ambassador to Germany Mutuma Kathurima and Embassy staff attended some matches.

Streetfootballworld´s manager Jürgen Griesbeck and the FIFA Deputy General Secretary, Jérôme Champagne, crowned the first street football World Champions with the Copa Andrés Escobar. The trophy is named after the Colombian national football player Andrés Escobar who was murdered after the FIFA World Cup in 1994 for scoring an own goal.

Apart from the MYSA players who are drawn from slum areas in Kenya and KickAIDs, other teams playing included a lineup from the United States which represented the fight against drug abuse a mixed team of Israelis and Palestinians, Diambars from Senegal, Football for Peace from Afghanistan and Berlin.

The festival was organized by the global street football network Streetfootballworld. The festival 2006 and Streetfootballworlds work was supported by the Federal government of Germany and streetfootballworld and will continue its strong alliance with the FIFA in the areas of football and development.