President William Ruto departed Kenya on Sunday for a high-level official visit to Spain and the United Kingdom, aimed at advancing Kenya’s economic, diplomatic, and global development agenda. The trip, announced by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, underscores the President’s focus on forging strategic partnerships and advocating for international financial reform.
Ruto’s visit will commence in Seville, Spain, where he is scheduled to participate in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. There, he will deliver a keynote address calling for urgent reforms in multilateral financing systems to better address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
While in Spain, the President will also hold bilateral discussions with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe VI. The talks will focus on clean energy initiatives, youth empowerment programs, and strategies to enhance climate resilience key priorities for both nations.
Following his engagements in Spain, Ruto will proceed to the United Kingdom, where he is expected to meet newly elected UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The highlight of this leg of the visit will be the signing of the renewed Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership 2025–2030. This five-year framework focuses on four critical pillars: trade, climate, technology, and security.
As part of the renewed pact, the UK has committed to mobilising up to £1.5 billion in new investments in Kenya by 2030, with the aim of doubling bilateral trade and supporting key infrastructure projects, such as the Nairobi Railway City. This project seeks to modernise Nairobi’s Central Business District into a dynamic transit-oriented urban hub.
President Ruto will also witness a major announcement by Lloyd’s of London to establish a regional underwriting hub in Nairobi through the Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC), positioning Kenya as a financial hub for Sub-Saharan Africa.
In the tech space, the partnership will drive collaboration in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, while extending support to Kenyan start-ups and SMEs through public-private partnerships.
Ruto’s tour marks a significant step in advancing Kenya’s global stature and securing investments to spur sustainable growth.
