NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12 – Kenya and Finland have signed two agreements on the first day of President Alexander Stubb’s State Visit to Kenya.
The two memoranda of understanding on political consultations, and peace mediation and conflict resolution are aimed at strengthening ties between Kenya and Finland.
Speaking at a press conference with his counterpart from Finland after bilateral talks at State House Nairobi on Monday, President William Ruto said Kenya is committed to deepening bilateral cooperation with the Nordic country for the mutual benefit of citizens of the two nations.
He said Kenyan and Finnish officials are working on cooperation frameworks in education, tourism, and labour recruitment, initiatives that will enhance knowledge exchange, skills development, institutional partnerships, and stronger people-to-people connections.
“We look forward to strengthening existing collaboration and exploring new opportunities to elevate our cooperation to a strategic level,” he said.
President Stubb is accompanied by First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb and a business delegation in the first visit by a Finnish head of State.
The discussions between the two leaders centred on enhancing collaboration in education, health, renewable energy, trade and investment, peace and security, multilateral engagement, and climate action.
President Ruto said Kenya is keen on leveraging Finland’s global leadership in education and expressed Kenya’s intention to deepen cooperation in support of the Competency-Based Education.
“A cooperation framework will soon be concluded, focusing on basic, technical, vocational, and higher education to equip our youth with the skills needed in a digital economy,” he said.
On health, the President pointed out that Kenya intends to draw lessons from Finland’s exemplary universal healthcare system in strengthening Taifa Care, the country’s universal health coverage programme.
“We agreed to share experiences and explore joint efforts to address health challenges and improve service delivery,” he said.
President Ruto also pointed out the need to expand trade and investment between the two countries.
He reaffirmed the joint commitment to the implementation of the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in July 2024.
The President further applauded Finland for maintaining a forest cover of over 75% of its landmass, noting that the two countries would collaborate closely with Finland as it works towards achieving 30% forest cover by planting 15 billion trees in the next eight years.
“We equally look forward to learning from Finland’s expertise in sustainable forest management, reforestation technology, biodiversity conservation, and balancing economic and environmental goals,” he said.
On the multilateral front, President Ruto reaffirmed both nations’ commitment to a rules-based international order and fair financing.
He recognised the alignment between Finland’s climate diplomacy and Kenya’s ambition to achieve 100% clean energy by 2030.
“We agreed to strengthen partnerships in climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and biodiversity conservation,” he said.
The two leaders also addressed global and regional security challenges, noting the severe impact of conflict on livelihoods and sustainable development.
They reaffirmed their commitment to mobilising international support for peace efforts in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region.
“I also assured President Stubb of Kenya’s continued call for dialogue as a path to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” he said.
President Stubb, in turn, expressed his commitment to implementing the agreements discussed during the meeting with President Ruto.
He emphasised Finland’s interest in building strong partnerships with Kenya.
“We need to work together on the subjects that we discussed today: Climate change, forestry, global health, technology, and economy,” he said.
President Stubb praised Kenya’s strong global voice on vital issues such as peace and underscored the importance of democratic values.
“We have to remember that democracy is something that we not only must protect, but work on at all times,” he said.
