Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and William Ruto attended the Kazakhstan-Kenya Business Forum
In his speech, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan noted that relations between Kazakhstan and Kenya are currently experiencing significant growth, supported by political commitment and a mutual desire to strengthen bilateral ties.
"During productive and meaningful talks with President William Ruto, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of sectors and identified new areas of partnership. I am optimistic that these intensified economic ties will materialize in the near future," the President of Kazakhstan said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed a number of initiatives to expand economic partnership.
"It is necessary to establish a Kazakhstan-Kenya Business Council, which should become a specialized platform for strengthening dialogue on trade and investment. Organizing regular trade missions will help companies identify growth opportunities directly on the ground." The appointment of Kazakhstan's Honorary Consul in Kenya as a business coordinator will strengthen practical cooperation between entrepreneurs in our countries. It is also proposed to establish a group of experts to develop promising ways to improve transport and logistics infrastructure. I am confident that the implementation of these measures will lay a solid foundation for the speedy establishment of an Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation at the ministerial level. We also agreed to send a group of business representatives to Kenya to study their business practices," noted the Head of State.
As the President emphasized, Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia, as evidenced by a 6.5% growth rate.
"Small and medium-sized businesses are the foundation of our country's success, accounting for approximately 40% of our economic contribution. This economic resilience is reliably protected by the state's political stability. The new Constitution, adopted following a nationwide referendum, has laid a solid legal foundation for protecting investors' rights. Kazakhstan has also created an attractive institutional framework to ensure the protection of investors' rights and interests." In addition to institutional security, we offer practical, long-term incentives. Foreign entrepreneurs can now fully utilize the benefits of our unique Altyn Visa (Golden Visa) program, which provides investors with extensive tax and immigration benefits. In this regard, I invite Kenyan business leaders to take advantage of these opportunities and consider Kazakhstan a strategic destination for investment, growth, and long-term partnerships," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The President of Kazakhstan highlighted a number of promising areas for deepening bilateral cooperation.
"Kazakhstan has successfully transformed itself into a key Eurasian transit hub. Today, approximately 85% of all overland transit traffic between China and Europe passes through our country. We are actively developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle Corridor. Kenya, in turn, serves as a key logistics gateway to East Africa, providing unimpeded access to the East African Community market of 300 million people. It is essential to connect the Middle Corridor with Africa's vital maritime arteries. To achieve this, we must fully utilize the potential of the Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with the Kenyan ports of Mombasa and Lamu, the largest transport and logistics hubs in East Africa. Utilizing these ports will significantly optimize Kazakhstan's exports of metal products, construction materials, as well as agricultural and food products." In addition to maritime transit, developing air travel will expedite cargo delivery. Kazakhstan's "open skies" regime is a strong incentive to attract global air carriers. As a first step, I propose exploring the possibility of launching cargo air routes between the two countries. Ultimately, our long-term goal remains ensuring direct air service between Astana and Nairobi," the President of Kazakhstan stated.
Developing cooperation in agriculture and food security was also identified as a priority in his speech.
"Kazakhstan is a recognized world leader in the production of staple food crops. Given the growing demand in Africa, we are interested in exporting grain to your country. Kenya, in turn, is renowned for its excellent tea, coffee, and flowers. Therefore, we are committed to opening a Kenyan trade hub in Kazakhstan, which will provide your business with direct access to the entire Eurasian region. We also welcome the implementation of joint educational initiatives in agronomy and look forward to welcoming Kenyan students and specialists to our educational institutions," the Head of State said. According to the President, mining and geological exploration are also an important area of bilateral cooperation.
"Kazakhstan and Kenya are rich in rare earth elements and critical minerals. Their importance is steadily growing amid growing global demand driven by the energy transition, the development of digital technologies, and advanced manufacturing industries. In this regard, we see significant potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in geology, exploration, production, and processing. Kazakhstan is ready to share its knowledge and experience in this area. We welcome the signing of the Agreement between Samruk-Kazyna and NAMICO on the implementation of investment projects in Kenya, including the search, evaluation, and promotion of subsoil use and geological exploration initiatives. This document will create a solid foundation for practical cooperation and the launch of promising joint projects in the mining sector," noted Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The President of Kazakhstan considers it important to develop cooperation in artificial intelligence and digitalization. He noted that Kenya is widely known as Africa's "Silicon Savannah."
"With deep expertise in GovTech and FinTech, Kazakhstan is ready to share its best practices in e-government solutions and modern banking infrastructure. We are also interested in cooperation in artificial intelligence and the space industry. The memorandums signed today in IT and space technologies will undoubtedly pave the way for a productive and long-term partnership between our countries," the President of Kazakhstan emphasized.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed the strengthening of ties between the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) and the Nairobi International Financial Center. He invited Kenyan companies to actively utilize the AIFC's capabilities to expand their business presence in Central Asia and beyond.
According to the President, Kazakhstan's tourism industry is currently experiencing rapid growth. In this regard, he considers the development of adventure tourism important.
In conclusion, the Head of State emphasized that today's Forum clearly demonstrated the significant potential for bilateral cooperation and a shared commitment to strengthening economic ties.
William Ruto expressed confidence that Kazakhstan and Kenya, together, can create a new economic bridge between Central Asia and Africa.
"I urge the business leaders gathered here to move from dialogue to agreements, from establishing contacts to investments that can create jobs and develop industry for the benefit of our countries. We see great potential in establishing direct flights between Astana and Nairobi for developing business ties. I also want to assure you that the logistics ports of Mombasa and Lamu will be accessible to Kazakhstani companies interested in entering East African markets. I am very pleased that today we were able to discuss the creation of a logistics hub in Astana for the supply of our country's export goods," the President of Kenya said.
