NAIROBI, Kenya May 20 – Kenya and Kazakhstan have pledged to turn trade and investment ties into concrete commercial partnerships that help in driving prosperity of the two nations.
Presidents William Ruto and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday laid out a roadmap for trade, energy, logistics and technology cooperation during a business forum at the Astana International Financial Centre.
Government and business leaders of both countries agreed that boardroom talks should now translate into tangible outcomes that benefit the people.
President Ruto told the forum that the world is being reshaped by shifting trade corridors, supply chain diversification, energy transition and rapid technological change.
Due to this shift, he said, countries offering market access, policy stability and strategic connectivity would become preferred destinations for capital.
“Kazakhstan stands today as the largest economy in Central Asia and an increasingly important bridge into Eurasia,” he said.
He went on: “Kenya, on its part, has established itself as East Africa’s leading commercial, logistics, financial, and innovation hub.”
President Ruto, who is on a two-day State Visit to Kazakhstan, is accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet secretaries William Kabogo (ICT and Digital Economy) and Lee Kinyanjui (Investment, Trade and Industry), among other top government officials.
Pitching Kenya as a premier investment destination, President Ruto noted that the country provides access to a market of more than 300 million people iin the East African Community and over 1.4 billion consumers under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“Kenya and Africa were once spoken of as markets of future promise. Today, we are the growth frontier of our time,” he said, stating that the two nations can build a new economic bridge between Africa and Central Asia, powered by trade, industrialisation, innovation, and shared prosperity.
To anchor the relationship with Kazakhstan, he announced that Kenya would open a consular-general office in Astana, and progress it to a full-fledged embassy next year to anchor the growing ties between the two nations.
President Ruto described Kenya’s energy and digital sectors as huge opportunities for Kazakh investors, pointing out that 93% of the country’s electricity grid comprises renewable energy.
He explained that Kenya aims to expand generation capacity to 10,000MW by 2030.
“This is opening major opportunities across geothermal development, transmission infrastructure, battery storage systems, smart grids, industrial power solutions, green hydrogen, electric mobility, and climate-smart manufacturing,” he noted.
President Ruto said Kenya could learn from Kazakhstan’s expertise in uranium processing and peaceful nuclear energy use as it advances its long-term energy security and industrialisation agenda.
On agriculture, President Ruto said the two countries have complementary strengths, pointing out that Kazakhstan brings advantages in grain production, dependable fertiliser value chains and large-scale farming, while Kenya offers globally renowned tea, coffee, horticulture and fresh produce.
“We can build resilient food systems through irrigation cooperation, fertiliser production, agro-processing, commodity logistics, and export-oriented value chains serving African and Eurasian markets,” he explained.
He also highlighted Kenya’s competitive edge in fintech and digital innovation, stating that Nairobi has emerged as Africa’s Silicon Savannah, with M-Pesa and the wider fintech ecosystem transforming financial inclusion
Further, he said, Kenya is rolling out “one of Africa’s most ambitious digital superhighway programmes”, including nationwide fibre optic expansion and digitisation of government services through the e-Citizen platform.
Additionally, the President pointed to potential cooperation between the Astana International Financial Centre and the Nairobi International Financial Centre to facilitate cross-border investment and infrastructure financing.
On his part, President Tokayev welcomed the push for deeper ties and proposed the establishment of a bilateral business council focused on trade and investment.
He also announced plans to dispatch trade missions to scout for new opportunities.
“To streamline engagement, Kazakhstan will create a dedicated business unit to serve as the focal point for handling trade and investment matters between the two countries,” President Tokayev said.
Technical experts, he pointed out, would be deployed to support upgrades in logistics and transport systems, and an intergovernmental council would be formed to address outstanding issues.
To boost Kenyan exports, Kazakhstan plans to set up a centre to promote tea, coffee, flowers and other goods.
He said Kazakhstan offers a direct gateway to Eurasia and is keen to leverage the ports of Mombasa and Lamu to optimise exports into Africa.
Aviation, Presidents Ruto and Tokayev said, is a key priority, and both leaders called for direct air cargo and passenger routes between Nairobi and Astana under Kazakhstan’s open skies policy.
President Ruto urged business leaders to move “beyond dialogue to deal-making; beyond networking to investment; and beyond ambition to transformative partnerships that create jobs, expand industries, and unlock long-term growth”.
He said Kenya’s modernisation programme is expanding energy, roads, railways, ports, airports and digital connectivity, while repositioning infrastructure as an “investable asset” through public-private partnerships and the National Infrastructure Fund.
“Kenya is not simply inviting trade. Kenya is inviting a long-term strategic partnership,” President Ruto said.
President Tokayev said Kenya can take advantage of Kazakhstan’s open air policy to establish air connectivity between the two countries.
The forum brought together senior officials, investors and business executives from both countries that are keen on building on the agreements signed during President Ruto’s visit and eventually link Africa’s fastest-growing markets with Central Asia’s industrial base.
Meanwhile, President Ruto visited Alem.AI Centre in Astana, an international centre dedicated to artificial intelligence research, education, start-ups and government applications.
He also toured the Kazakhstan National Space Centre, which will forge links with Kenya’s Space Centre in Malindi.
