Kenya: Ruto Pushes EU for Jobs, Investment As Ties Hit 50 Years

What the report says

President William Ruto has called on European countries and the European Union to boost investment in Kenya, saying stronger economic ties should translate into more jobs and support for local industries. The remarks were made at State House in Nairobi as Kenya and the EU marked 50 years of diplomatic relations. Ruto was hosting 44 EU ambassadors serving across Africa, according to the report from Capital FM distributed by AllAfrica.

Ruto said Kenya wants the partnership with Europe to deliver practical benefits, naming manufacturing, agriculture, energy and healthcare as priority sectors for greater European involvement. He also argued that Kenya’s relationship with the EU should be judged by the opportunities it creates rather than by formal meetings or agreements alone. The president said the bloc remains Kenya’s largest export market, with tea, coffee, horticultural products and cut flowers among the main goods sold there.

He urged European partners to remove barriers facing Kenyan exporters, including strict sanitary and phytosanitary rules, high freight costs and weak cold-chain infrastructure. Ruto also pressed for more support for digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and technology transfer, as well as cheaper development financing. EU Ambassador to Kenya Andreas Peschke said the bloc wanted to deepen cooperation through trade, investment, security, academic exchange and job creation. The report also noted Nairobi’s new role as the EU’s fourth regional hub in Africa, which could expand cooperation across the continent.