• The three-day trip will be the first by an Iranian president to Africa in 11 years
• “The Iranian president will now arrive tomorrow for a state visit,” it said

NAIROBI: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will kick off his Africa tour a day late on Wednesday, the foreign ministry in Nairobi said after he failed to appear at a press event.

The rare visit to Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe marks the latest diplomatic effort by the Islamic Republic to forge new alliances and ease its international isolation.

The three-day trip will be the first by an Iranian president to Africa in 11 years.

Raisi was scheduled to hold a press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday morning, but neither showed up.

“The schedule of the president has now been reviewed to allow for finalization of key MoUs (memoranda of understanding) that are central to the furtherance of relations,” Kenya’s foreign ministry said.

“The Iranian president will now arrive tomorrow for a state visit,” it said, adding that the two leaders would hold bilateral talks at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) on Wednesday.

A Ugandan official said Raisi’s trip to the East African country would proceed as previously scheduled, with his two-day visit due to begin on Wednesday.

President Yoweri Museveni and his Iranian counterpart will hold talks, address the media and a business forum during the visit, said Faruk Kirunda, deputy press secretary to the Ugandan leader.

The visit “is aimed at strengthening cooperation and trade,” Kirunda told AFP.

According to the official IRNA news agency, Raisi will head a delegation that includes the foreign minister as well as senior businesspeople. He is also scheduled to meet Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.