• Kenyan President William Ruto signs strategic partnership with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to boost trade, security, and technology cooperation.
• Agreement targets doubling bilateral trade volume by 2030, from £1.8 billion in 2024.
• UK commits $1.7 billion to support Kenya’s priority development sectors.

On an official visit to the United Kingdom, Kenyan President William Ruto will meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to sign a new strategic partnership agreement for 2025–2030. The accord, announced on June 29, on Kenyan national television, aims to deepen cooperation between Nairobi and London in critical areas such as trade, security, climate action, and technological innovation.

A key objective of the agreement is to double the value of bilateral trade between the two countries by 2030. In 2024, trade between Kenya and the UK totaled £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion), reflecting a 10.1% increase over 2023, according to figures from the British government. 

UK Commits $1.7 Billion in Support

As part of this renewed economic partnership, the United Kingdom has pledged $1.7 billion to support Kenya’s development priorities, focusing on infrastructure, green energy, manufacturing, and digital transformation. 

British authorities noted that outward foreign direct investment (FDI) from the UK to Kenya reached $1.06 billion by the end of 2023, marking a 22.1% increase compared to the previous year. 

In addition, President Ruto’s visit to London is expected to confirm the establishment of a regional underwriting hub within the Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC). This initiative aims to position Nairobi as a financial gateway to sub-Saharan Africa.

A Broader International Agenda

The London leg of President Ruto’s European tour follows his visit to Spain, where he attended the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville. There, the Kenyan president called for fairer partnerships, reforms to the global financial system, and stronger African integration into global value chains, especially amid the ecological transition.

This European tour comes as Kenya faces persistent fiscal pressures. Confronted with high public debt and constrained budgetary space, the government is prioritizing private investment to fund its development projects. Through the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), Kenyan authorities aim to accelerate economic growth, reduce unemployment, and improve resilience against external shocks.

This article was initially published in French by Charlène N’dimon

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum