Ruto reveals details of his meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Kenya
By Valerian Khakayi, January 16, 2025
President William Ruto on Thursday, January 16, 2025, hosted the Egyptian envoy to Kenya Wael Nasreldin Attiya at State House Nairobi.
Taking to his official X account, Ruto revealed that Attiya paid him a courtesy call and the two were in discussions aimed at bolstering cooperation between Kenya and Egypt adding that the two nations are keen on expanding diplomatic, trade, and cooperative ties, which have evolved over the past six decades.
In addition, Ruto highlighted the deep-rooted historical connections that began in the 1950s when Egypt played a significant role in supporting Kenya’s struggle for independence.
“Met Egyptian Ambassador to Kenya Wael Nasreldin Attiya, who paid me a courtesy call, State House Nairobi, the relations between Kenya and Egypt go back to the 1950s when the North African country supported our fight for independence and freedom,” Ruto stated.
According to the head of State, the strong diplomatic relations of six decades and trade ties have been further facilitated by Kenya’s membership in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), which have enhanced regional economic integration and expanded opportunities for bilateral business.
“These relations have blossomed in the past 60 years and have included strong diplomatic and trade ties. Our trade has increased significantly, boosted by our membership of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the Tripartite Free Trade Area,” he added.
The two leaders expressed optimism about the future of Kenya-Egypt relations and emphasized Egypt’s commitment to continuing efforts to foster closer economic and diplomatic ties with Kenya.
The meeting underscored the notable growth in trade between the two countries since Egypt has been a close trade partner to Kenya.
Mou agreement
On March 8, 2024, Kenya and Egypt signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in Trade and Investments, Agriculture, Tourism, Energy and Infrastructure development to better the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Among the MoU deals signed by Prime Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi and Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry include Maritime Affairs, an understanding to share information in the field of Veterinary Services, the renewable energy sector and the fine arts industry.
The relations between Kenya and Egypt go back to the 1950s when the North African country supported our fight for independence and freedom.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) January 16, 2025
These relations have blossomed in the past 60 years to include strong diplomatic and trade ties. Our trade has increased significantly,… pic.twitter.com/ax9dkghqgw