Kenya, Egypt Deepen Ties As Mudavadi Hosts Egyptian Foreign Minister

By Our Correspondent

Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening trade and investment ties with Egypt, with a focus on improving the business environment and expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi spoke in Nairobi while hosting Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr Badr Abdelatty, who is on an official visit.

Mudavadi said both governments would encourage their private sectors to leverage existing synergies, diversify traded products and fast-track the establishment of a Kenya–Egypt Joint Business Council.

“In our engagement, we emphasised the need to streamline trade and address various trade facilitation inefficiencies to unlock economic resilience and shared prosperity,” said Dr Mudavadi.

He noted that Kenya values its longstanding diplomatic relations with Egypt, established in 1964, describing the partnership as grounded in mutual respect, shared African heritage and cooperation in key sectors.

Mudavadi recalled that during President William Ruto’s State visit to Cairo in January 2025, he and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership.

During that visit, the two governments signed twelve bilateral agreements covering trade and investment, education, technology, governance, gender equality, youth empowerment, maritime affairs, ICT, housing and sustainable development.

Mudavadi said ministries and agencies from both countries had made progress in establishing sectoral working groups to oversee implementation of the agreements and maintain momentum.

He added that a mid-term review would be held to assess progress, identify challenges and refine shared strategic priorities under the enhanced partnership framework.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary welcomed a proposed State Visit to Kenya by President El-Sisi later this year and said Nairobi remained open to aligning it with the Africa–France Summit in May 2026.

On water security and the Nile Basin, Mudavadi reaffirmed Kenya’s position that no country should be disadvantaged in the utilisation of shared water resources.

He said Kenya supports African-led, inclusive and dialogue-based approaches within the Nile Basin Initiative and acknowledged Egypt’s position articulated during the 33rd Nile Council of Ministers in Bujumbura in December 2025.

Mudavadi said Kenya stands ready to serve as an impartial facilitator to advance cooperative and sustainable management of the Nile Basin.

Dr Abdelatty said Egypt had established a $100 million fund to support construction of small dams in Kenya to help address water shortages for domestic use and irrigation.

He expressed hope that Kenya could serve as a model in dam construction and water resource management as part of broader efforts to strengthen cooperation in the sector.

Mudavadi said Kenya appreciated Egypt’s pledge of $7 million toward high-impact development projects and its offer of capacity-building support in diplomacy, security, agriculture and religious leadership.

He said consultations were ongoing to finalise implementation modalities for the pledged support.

The two leaders reaffirmed their governments’ shared commitment to peace and security, saying regional stability remains essential for economic growth and social well-being.

Mudavadi commended Egypt’s role in the African Union Peace and Security Council, noting its contribution to conflict resolution and regional cooperation.

He also reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to supporting peace initiatives in the Horn of Africa, saying the shared objective is to secure stability and promote sustainable development.

On African Union reforms, Mudavadi said Kenya, as Champion of Institutional Reform, remains committed to advancing a more effective, unified and financially sustainable AU aligned with Agenda 2063.

He said the two countries agreed on the urgency of concluding outstanding reform priorities, including restructuring AU organs and clarifying the division of labour between the AU, regional blocs and member states.

Mudavadi informed the visiting minister that Kenya had presented candidates for key continental and international positions and sought Egypt’s continued engagement in multilateral processes.