Ruto, Tokayev sign key deals to boost Kenya, Kazakhstan ties

Kenya and Kazakhstan have signed multiple bilateral agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation in ICT, transport, mining, agriculture, tourism, climate action and space technology during President William Ruto’s State Visit to Astana, in a move both countries say will deepen trade, investment and regional connectivity between Africa and Central Asia.

The agreements were signed by President William Ruto and his Kazakhstan counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, following bilateral talks focused on expanding economic and strategic ties between the two nations.

President Ruto described the discussions as “candid, constructive, and highly productive”, saying the two countries had agreed on practical measures to unlock opportunities in trade, innovation and infrastructure development.

“President Tokayev and I have held candid, constructive, and highly productive discussions aimed at deepening cooperation across a broad range of strategic sectors,” Ruto said. “Together, we reviewed the state of our bilateral relations and agreed on practical measures to unlock new opportunities for trade, investment, innovation, and regional connectivity.”

The Kenyan leader said the agreements marked “a milestone that places our cooperation on a solid and forward-looking trajectory”, adding that they would support job creation, skills transfer and access to new markets.

Among the agreements signed was a Memorandum of Understanding on intermodal and multimodal transport systems designed to improve connectivity between Kazakhstan’s transport corridors and East Africa’s Northern Corridor and the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor.

“To strengthen connectivity and regional integration, we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing cooperation in intermodal and multimodal transport systems,” Ruto said.

Kenya also positioned itself as a gateway into Africa, while describing Kazakhstan as a strategic entry point into Central Asia and the Eurasian region.

President Ruto invited Kazakhstan to establish Nairobi as a continental operational hub using the Port of Mombasa and the LAPSSET corridor as logistics gateways into the African market.

The two countries further signed agreements on ICT and e-government services focusing on digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation ecosystems and digital public service delivery. Kenya highlighted its growing reputation as a technology hub driven by a youthful workforce and an expanding digital economy.

Another agreement in the mining sector is expected to promote investment, value addition and industrialization through joint projects.

“To advance sustainable industrial development, we have signed a Cooperation Agreement in the mining sector,” Ruto said.

The leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in remote sensing and space technologies to support agriculture, climate monitoring, disaster response and environmental protection.

“This partnership will enhance food security, strengthen climate resilience, and better protect vulnerable communities,” the President said.

Additional agreements covered tourism, commerce, investment promotion, financial services and diplomatic training.

Beyond trade and investment, the two leaders discussed climate change, global financial reforms and multilateral cooperation.

They called for fairer access to climate financing, reforms to global financial institutions and changes to the United Nations Security Council to make international governance systems more representative, particularly for developing countries and Africa.