President William Ruto leaves the country on Sunday for a multi-nation European tour, visiting Belgium, Norway, and Finland. State House says the primary objectives of this tour are to attract investment, expand export markets, and forge strategic partnerships.
According to State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, these visits, comprising both Official and a State Visit, aim to strengthen Kenya’s economic ties with Europe. The President will also leverage existing and emerging trade frameworks to stimulate job creation and economic growth within Kenya.
In Brussels, Mohamed says President Ruto will hold bilateral talks with His Majesty King Philippe and Mr. Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of Flanders. Discussions will centre on enhancing trade, investment, and overall bilateral relations between Kenya and Belgium.
“He will also engage business leaders on opportunities in value addition, manufacturing, agriculture and logistics as Kenya works to increase exports and attract investment into key sectors of the economy,” he said in a statement
A high-profile engagement with European Union leadership is also planned. President Ruto will meet with European Council President António Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
A central theme of these discussions, Mohamed indicated, will be the implementation of the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. This agreement grants Kenyan exports duty-free and quota-free access to the extensive European market. The engagement is anticipated to unlock significant opportunities for Kenyan farmers and exporters, particularly in tea, coffee, cut flowers, horticulture, and other value-added products.
Following his visit to Belgium, State House confirmed that President Ruto will travel to Oslo for an Official Visit. This will include consultations with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and an audience with Crown Prince Haakon.
In Oslo, President Ruto will also participate in the Kenya-Norway Business Forum. This forum will bring together Kenyan and Norwegian investors to explore partnerships in renewable energy, electric mobility, the blue economy, climate-smart agriculture, and other sectors that can generate employment and drive sustainable economic growth.
President Ruto’s tour will conclude with a State Visit to Finland, at the invitation of President Alexander Stubb. This visit reciprocates President Stubb’s historic State Visit to Kenya in May 2025.
The Finnish leg of the tour is expected to deepen bilateral cooperation across a wide array of sectors, including education, technology and digitisation, clean energy, environmental sustainability, health, and peace and security.
Mohamed stated that President Ruto will participate in a Kenya-Finland Business Forum, bringing together investors and business leaders. The forum will explore opportunities in technology, clean energy, manufacturing, innovation, and value addition, to attract investment, creating jobs, and expanding economic cooperation.
A significant diplomatic highlight will be President Ruto’s participation in the Kultaranta Talks, Finland’s prestigious international foreign and security policy forum. With Africa being a key focus of this year’s discussions, Mohamed noted that the forum offers Kenya a strategic platform to advance the continent’s priorities on peace, security, sustainable development, and reform of the international system.
