President William Ruto and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, witnessed the signing of three key MoUs between the two nations.

The MoUs that were signed aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing tourism, trade, security, agriculture, and fisheries.

Trade

The establishment of the joint trade committee was signed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who also doubles up as the Foreign Affairs CS, and Reinette Klever, the Netherlands Foreign Trade and Development minister.

The purpose of the establishment of the joint trade committee MoU is to set up a framework for the dialogue on cooperation on trade and investment between Kenya and the Netherlands. The joint trade committee is aimed at facilitating and fostering bilateral trade and investment between the two nations. It is proposed to be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) of Kenya and the Netherlands Foreign Trade and Development minister.

Agriculture

The second MoU to be signed was the terms of reference for the agriculture working group to renew the framework for cooperation and partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature of the Kingdom of Netherlands and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development of Kenya for the enhancement of agriculture in both countries’ priority areas.

Commenting on the MoU, President Ruto, in a joint statement with the Dutch King, said it would reinforce the partnership between Kenya and the Netherlands in terms of productivity and sustainability.

“We signed an MOU to renew our framework for cooperation in agriculture, reinforcing the partnership between Kenya and the Netherlands in terms of productivity and sustainability,” Ruto said.

Tourism

The third MoU was to enhance tourism between the two countries. The MoU aims to foster collaborations on tourism, particularly having more Dutch tourists visit Kenya, and enhance Dutch investment in the tourism sector in Kenya.

Taking to his official X account after the signing of the MoUs, President William Ruto hailed the Netherlands as one of Kenya’s most significant trading partners in Europe, a steadfast development ally, and a key collaborator in the country’s economic transformation.

“The Netherlands is one of our most significant trading partners in Europe, a steadfast development ally, and a key collaborator in our economic transformation. We value this partnership, and we are committed to strengthening our ties, expanding economic opportunities, and fostering sustainable collaborations that drive progress in both nations,” Ruto stated.

The Netherlands is one of our most significant trading partners in Europe, a steadfast development ally, and a key collaborator in our economic transformation. pic.twitter.com/nJXiC6taq9

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) March 18, 2025