President William Ruto hosted EU ambassadors at State House, Nairobi, to discuss stronger economic ties.
President William Ruto urges European partners to expand investment, ease export barriers and support affordable financing as Kenya and the EU mark five decades of relations.
President William Ruto has called for more EU investment in Kenya to create jobs and support local industries. His appeal comes as Kenya and the European Union mark 50 years of diplomatic relations.
Ruto hosted 44 EU ambassadors serving across Africa at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday. He urged European partners to turn the longstanding relationship into economic gains that ordinary Kenyans can feel.
The President identified manufacturing, agriculture, energy and healthcare as priority sectors for increased European investment.
EU investment and export access top agenda
Ruto said the partnership’s success should rest on opportunities, investment and improvements in people’s lives, rather than meetings and agreements. He also sought action on obstacles facing Kenyan businesses selling goods to Europe.
The EU remains Kenya’s largest export market, accounting for 21 per cent of the country’s global exports, Ruto said. These exports include tea, coffee, horticultural products and cut flowers.
However, he highlighted strict sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, high freight costs and inadequate cold-chain infrastructure as barriers affecting exporters. He called on European partners to help remove those obstacles.
Alongside trade, Ruto urged support for digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and technology transfer. He said Kenya wants to produce technology rather than remain only a consumer.
Financing and wider diplomatic cooperation
Ruto also called for affordable development financing, arguing that high borrowing costs and unsustainable debt burdens slow Africa’s development. His appeal formed part of a push to build a comprehensive strategic relationship with the EU.
Meanwhile, EU Ambassador to Kenya Andreas Peschke said the gathering of 44 ambassadors demonstrated the bloc’s commitment to stronger relations with Kenya and Africa.
Peschke outlined investment, trade, security and job creation as areas for further cooperation. He also highlighted academic exchanges and closer links between people as priorities for the partnership’s next phase.
Ruto welcomed Nairobi’s designation as the EU’s fourth regional hub in Africa. He said the move offered an opportunity to deepen cooperation across the continent as the two partners mark five decades of diplomatic ties.
