MP Kenneth Marende, speaker of the Kenyan parliament, is visiting Israel. Marende was welcomed Wednesday with an official ceremony in the Knesset building.

In a speech in honor of his arrival, Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin spoke about Israel's commitment to human rights, and the importance of denouncing tyranny and dictatorships. Marende told Rivlin that Israel serves as a model of democracy to Kenya, and also shows how a state can flourish within a relatively short span of time.