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President William Ruto has embarked on official and state visits to Belgium, Norway, and Finland as Kenya seeks to strengthen trade ties, attract foreign investment, and open up new markets for its products.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the trip is part of Kenya’s broader economic diplomacy agenda aimed at boosting exports and driving growth in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and technology.
“President William Ruto departs this afternoon for Official Visits to Belgium and Norway, and a State Visit to Finland aimed at attracting investment, expanding market access for Kenyan products and strengthening partnerships that boost exports, create jobs and drive economic growth,” Hussein said.
While in Belgium, President Ruto is scheduled to hold discussions with King Philippe and Flanders Minister-President Matthias Diependaele to explore ways of enhancing bilateral relations, trade, and investment cooperation.
He is also expected to meet senior European Union leaders, including European Council President António Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, to discuss the implementation of the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
The agreement grants Kenyan goods duty-free and quota-free access to the European market, providing an opportunity to increase exports of products such as tea, coffee, flowers, horticultural produce, and other value-added goods.
According to Hussein, the discussions will focus on creating more opportunities for Kenyan exporters and widening access to European markets.
In Norway, the President will meet Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Crown Prince Haakon before taking part in the Kenya-Norway Business Forum. The forum will bring together investors interested in sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility, the blue economy, and climate-smart agriculture.
Hussein noted that the forum will offer a platform for Kenyan and Norwegian businesses to forge partnerships capable of creating jobs and supporting sustainable economic development.
The final leg of the tour will take President Ruto to Finland for a State Visit at the invitation of President Alexander Stubb, following Stubb’s visit to Kenya in May 2025.
The visit is expected to strengthen collaboration in education, technology, digital transformation, clean energy, environmental conservation, healthcare, and security, while also paving the way for new bilateral agreements.
President Ruto will also participate in the Kultaranta Talks, an international forum on foreign and security policy, where discussions this year will place significant emphasis on Africa.
State House says Kenya intends to use the platform to advance its agenda on peace, security, sustainable development, and reforms of global governance systems.
The President will further engage investors during the Kenya-Finland Business Forum, which will focus on opportunities in technology, manufacturing, innovation, and clean energy.
According to Hussein, the engagements are expected to attract investment, create employment opportunities, and strengthen economic cooperation between Kenya and its European partners.
