PM Abiy calls for stronger Kenya–Ethiopia trade and energy ties during Mashujaa Day

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has challenged Kenya and Ethiopia to turn their close historical and diplomatic ties into stronger economic partnerships, calling for increased cross-border trade, closer business relations and more interaction between citizens of the two countries.

Addressing the 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on Tuesday, October 20, Ahmed said the neighbouring nations could improve livelihoods by making it easier for businesses to operate across borders and expanding cooperation in key sectors, including energy and telecommunications.

He said their shared history and geographical closeness offered an opportunity to build a stronger economic partnership that delivers benefits to ordinary citizens in both countries.

“Geography made us neighbors. History made us brothers. Our choices must make us partners in shared prosperity,” he said.

Ahmed's call comes as Nairobi and Addis Ababa continue to pursue closer relations through trade, investment, infrastructure projects and regional cooperation, with existing agreements providing a basis for further joint initiatives.

In February 2024, Kenya and Ethiopia signed seven memoranda of understanding covering several areas of cooperation, including tourism, cultural development, petroleum and energy development, the blue economy and public service capacity building.

The agreements were designed to strengthen relations between the two countries and support their economic development goals.

Trade between the neighbours has also expanded in recent years. According to Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenyan exports to Ethiopia increased from Sh7.1 billion in 2019 to Sh15.8 billion in 2023.

Electricity and agricultural products are among the goods traded between the two countries, reflecting the role of energy and farming in their economic relationship.

However, Ahmed called for further action to make cross-border business easier, particularly for farmers and producers who depend on markets in neighbouring countries to sell their goods.

He also encouraged Kenyans and Ethiopians to visit each other's countries more often, experience their cultures and develop closer ties beyond government and business engagements.

“Our farmers and producers must be able to trade more easily across our borders. Let more of our people visit each other's countries, discover our cultures, and learn together. More families must benefit from our friendship,” he said.

The Ethiopian leader said stronger links between communities, alongside improved trade opportunities, would help ensure that the relationship between the two nations delivers practical benefits to more households.

Ahmed pointed to energy cooperation as another area where Kenya and Ethiopia have made progress, citing the electricity transmission line that allows power generated in Ethiopia to be supplied to Kenya.

“We see it in the power line that joins Ethiopia to Kenya. Since 2022, it has carried clean power across our border. It brings light to homes and energy to industry,” Ahmed said.

The transmission infrastructure has enabled Kenya to access electricity from Ethiopia, supporting efforts to diversify power supplies and strengthen energy links across the region.

Ahmed's remarks presented the electricity connection as an example of how cooperation between the neighbouring countries can support households, businesses and industrial activity.

He called on both governments to build on such projects by identifying more areas where their combined resources and expertise could support economic growth and improve living standards.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister also cited telecommunications as an example of how business investments can strengthen relations between the two countries, pointing to Safaricom's operations in Ethiopia and the role of its M-Pesa mobile money service.

“Today, Safaricom connects millions of Ethiopians and M-Pesa helps its people send money and make payments,” he said.

Safaricom's presence in Ethiopia has expanded the company's operations beyond Kenya, while its mobile money platform offers users a way to send funds and make payments.

Ahmed used the example to highlight the contribution of private-sector investment to connectivity and access to financial services, areas that can support economic activity and strengthen links between people and businesses.

He urged Kenya and Ethiopia to use their existing partnerships as a starting point for further cooperation, with both countries combining their strengths to create more opportunities for their citizens.

The Prime Minister said closer economic relations should translate into better livelihoods, increased business activity and progress towards shared development goals.

Abiy links Mashujaa Day to Africa's fight for freedom

Beyond economic cooperation, Ahmed used his address to reflect on the struggles that shaped Kenya's independence and Ethiopia's resistance to foreign conquest, drawing a connection between the two countries' histories and their shared commitment to dignity and sovereignty.

Mashujaa Day is observed in Kenya every October 20 to honour people whose sacrifices and contributions helped shape the country's independence struggle and subsequent development.

The holiday was previously known as Kenyatta Day, commemorating the October 1952 arrest of Jomo Kenyatta and other nationalist leaders by British colonial authorities.

Following the adoption of the 2010 Constitution, the occasion was renamed Mashujaa Day to recognise a wider range of heroes, including people who have contributed to society through education, healthcare, sports, enterprise and other fields.

Ahmed said Kenya's struggle for independence and Ethiopia's resistance to foreign conquest reflected a common determination among African people to defend their freedom and dignity.

“Different struggle, one conviction that our future is ours to share. African freedom was not given; it was won by people who would not give up their dignity,” he maintained.

His message linked the historical experiences of the two countries to the need for continued cooperation, suggesting that the freedoms secured by earlier generations should provide a foundation for shared progress.

The Ethiopian leader also praised President William Ruto's leadership and expressed his country's commitment to working with Kenya to advance their common development ambitions.

“To President William Ruto, I commend your leadership and your vision for a stronger, more prosperous Kenya, and to the people of Kenya, Ethiopia stands before you, beside you,” Ahmed said.

He called on both countries to ensure that the sacrifices made by earlier generations result in lasting opportunities for future generations.

Ahmed said the task facing the two nations was to make the freedom won through past struggles meaningful to their citizens today and in the years ahead.

“Our task is to make freedom count.”