NAIROBI, Kenya — Finnish President Alexander Stubb commenced a historic three-day state visit to Kenya on Monday, marking the first-ever visit by a Finnish head of state to the East African nation. The visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Kenya, established in 1965.
President Stubb and First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb were received at State House, Nairobi, by President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto.
The welcoming ceremony included a military guard of honor and a 21-gun salute, underscoring the significance of the occasion.
During bilateral talks, the two leaders signed two memoranda of understanding aimed at enhancing political consultations and bolstering peace mediation and conflict resolution efforts.
Discussions also focused on deepening cooperation in education, health, renewable energy, trade and investment, climate action, and multilateral engagement.
President Ruto highlighted Finland’s global leadership in education, expressing Kenya’s intent to collaborate on transitioning to a competency-based education system.
A cooperation framework is being developed to support basic, technical, vocational, and higher education, aiming to equip Kenyan youth with skills pertinent to the digital economy.
On health matters, the leaders agreed to share experiences and explore joint efforts to address health challenges and improve service delivery, drawing lessons from Finland’s exemplary universal healthcare system.
Trade and investment discussions emphasized the need to expand economic ties between the two countries. President Ruto welcomed the inclusion of a Finnish business delegation in the visit, which will participate in a Finland-Kenya business seminar.
Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to the effective implementation of the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in July 2024.
Environmental conservation was a key topic, with Kenya seeking to learn from Finland’s achievement of over 75% forest cover. The two countries plan to collaborate closely to help Kenya reach its target of 30% forest cover by planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
They also discussed cooperation in sustainable forest management, reforestation technology, biodiversity conservation, and balancing economic and environmental goals.
President Stubb’s itinerary includes a wreath-laying ceremony at Uhuru Gardens, a state banquet hosted by President Ruto, and visits to technical education institutions supported by the Finnish government.
He is also scheduled to deliver a lecture on geopolitics and the evolving multilateral world order at the University of Nairobi and meet with leaders of key UN agencies based in Nairobi.
