President William Ruto has today left the country for two official visits to Spain and United Kingdom during which he is expected to seal major investment deals and advocate for reforms in global development financing according to a statement from State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed.
“The President will sign a renewed Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership set to unlock major investments, create jobs, and boost Kenya’s global competitiveness in trade, climate, technology, and security.” said Hussein Mohammed.
According to Hussein’s statement, Ruto will meet UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to sign the partnership “anchored on four pillars including trade, climate, technology, and security.” The agreement aims “to double trade by 2030, equip Kenyans with digital skills, and strengthen cooperation on regional stability, terrorism, cyber threats, and climate action.”
The statement further highlights Nairobi Railway City, as one of the flagship projects under the new partnership and mobilization of up to £1.5 billion in new investments by 2030.
Aside from trade matters, “unlocking green finance from public, private, and blended sources” and supporting Kenya’s “innovation ecosystem, start-ups and digitally enabled SMEs” will also be one of the President’s agendas under the new partnership.
President Ruto will also witness the announcement by Lloyd’s of London to establish a regional underwriting hub in Nairobi, “positioning Nairobi as a financial gateway for Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Prior to his UK tour, the head of state will visit Seville, Spain, to participate in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development where he will champion for “reinvigoration of multilateralism in a world facing growing uncertainties, geopolitical tensions and intersecting crises; from extreme poverty, rising inequalities, and economic turmoil, to climate change and biodiversity loss.”
Ruto will also co-chair a high-level session at the summit and hold talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe VI among other government leaders to deepen cooperation.
