KENYA-KAZAKHSTAN BILATERAL RELATIONS DEEPEN DURING H.E PRESIDENT RUTO'S STATE VISIT TO KAZAKHSTAN

President William Ruto and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation following President Ruto’s historic State Visit to Kazakhstan.

During the visit, President Ruto was conferred with Kazakhstan’s prestigious Order of Dostyk, First Degree, in recognition of his efforts in strengthening international cooperation and advancing Kenya-Kazakhstan relations.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen trade and investment cooperation, positioning Kenya and Kazakhstan as strategic gateways to Africa and Central Asia respectively, while exploring expanded market access for Kenyan tea and other agricultural exports.

The State Visit also witnessed the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding aimed at strengthening collaboration across key sectors. The agreements covered trade and commerce to expand bilateral market access; transport and logistics to enhance cargo connectivity; mining to promote investment, value addition and job creation; and space technology to support agriculture, climate observation and disaster monitoring through satellite applications.

Additional agreements were signed in ICT, tourism and investment promotion, reflecting the shared commitment by both countries to broaden economic partnerships, foster innovation and unlock new opportunities for sustainable growth and people-to-people cooperation.

At the Kenya-Kazakhstan Business Forum, President Tokayev described Kenya as one of Africa’s most dynamic and advanced economies, underscoring its strategic role as an economic hub in East Africa. He noted that despite the geographical distance between the two nations, both countries share a strong spirit of modernization and ambition for the future.

President Tokayev said Kazakhstan, situated at the heart of Eurasia, and Kenya, as a gateway to East Africa, are uniquely positioned to strengthen interregional connectivity linking markets, transport corridors and investment flows between Central Asia and Africa. He further announced Kazakhstan’s decision to open an embassy in Nairobi, a move expected to deepen economic and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries.

President Ruto highlighted Kazakhstan’s growing importance as a strategic gateway to Eurasia and underscored the immense trade and investment opportunities available between the two nations, particularly in agriculture and value-added exports.

T further enhance the growing relationship with Kazakhstan, President Ruto announced that Kenya will open a Consulate-General office in Astana before progressing it into a fully-fledged embassy next year.

President Ruto also described Kenya’s energy and digital sectors as key areas of opportunity for Kazakh investors, noting that 93 per cent of Kenya’s electricity grid is powered by renewable energy. He said Kenya aims to increase its electricity generation capacity to 10,000MW by 2030, opening opportunities in geothermal development, transmission infrastructure, battery storage systems, smart grids, green hydrogen, electric mobility and climate-smart manufacturing.

The two leaders further discussed the establishment of a Kenya-Kazakhstan Business Council to strengthen private sector engagement and facilitate increased trade and investment cooperation in areas including trade, agriculture, transport and logistics, mining, renewable energy, digital technologies, e-government, the space industry, finance, tourism, as well as academic and cultural exchanges.

During the visit, President Ruto toured the Alem.AI Centre in Astana, an international hub dedicated to artificial intelligence research, education, start-ups and government applications. He also visited the Kazakhstan National Space Centre, which is expected to establish links with Kenya’s Space Centre in Malindi.

President Ruto, who was on a two-day State Visit to Kazakhstan, was accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretaries William Kabogo and Lee Kinyanjui, alongside other senior government officials.