Kenya’s Ruto visits Germany, Belgium to seek trade deals with EU

Kenyan President William Ruto, now on a visit to Germany and Belgium, has invited German companies to invest in Kenya’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
Ruto’s visit to Germany and Belgium is aimed at strengthening social and economic ties between Kenya and the European Union. During a meeting with German business leaders and investors, he called on them to invest in Kenya’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Ruto noted that the MSME sector is the backbone of the German economy, generating more than 60% of employment opportunities and also highlighted his government’s commitment to supporting MSME enterprises in Kenya. Kenya’s leader also held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss ways to reinforce Kenya’s commitment to the Kenya-EU Strategic Dialogue under the three key pillars of Peace, Security and Stability; Sustainable and Inclusive Development; and Economy, Trade and Investment.
Much like Kenya’s relations with the EU, President Ruto has also put the improvement of Kenya’s bilateral trade relations with the United States high on his priority list. He noted that his government aims to establish “new relationships and strategic partnerships” with American business people in his efforts to improve the country’s economic and social transformation. “Investors can predict the future of Kenya because it’s a democratic country. We have demonstrated as the people of Kenya that the rule of law underpins public affairs,” he said. To achieve this, the Ruto administration has recently adopted the key areas of cooperation agreed upon by the previous regime in the proposed trade deal with the US — the US-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership — setting the stage for the negotiations to progress ahead of the 2025 deadline.