Kenyan President William Ruto and Chinese President Xi JinpingNairobi — President William Ruto is in China for a five-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, deepening trade and investment relations, and advancing infrastructure cooperation between Kenya and the Asian powerhouse.
The President departed Nairobi on Monday night and is set to headline the Kenya-China Business Forum, which brings together over 100 companies from both countries. The forum is expected to focus on unlocking new trade opportunities and enhancing Kenya’s appeal as a destination for Chinese investment.
Ruto is also scheduled to hold high-level bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and National People’s Congress Chairman Zhao Leji. The discussions will centre on shared economic transformation, sustainable development, and global cooperation.
“The visit builds on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2017, with Kenya recognised as China’s leading Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner in Africa,” said State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed in a statement.
“Kenya has played a central role in advancing regional infrastructure and connectivity, with flagship projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway and the Nairobi Expressway significantly transforming its economic landscape.”
As part of efforts to boost Kenya’s exports, President Ruto will inaugurate the Kenya Tea Holding Centre in Fujian Province. The facility is expected to enhance the visibility and market access of Kenyan tea in Asia while supporting smallholder farmers back home.
“Kenya and China will continue aligning high-quality BRI cooperation with Kenya’s national development priorities, focusing on building a robust industrial and logistics hub for East Africa,” Hussein added.
The visit comes amid shifting global geopolitical dynamics and signals a renewed push to reshape the contours of Africa-China cooperation. Invited by President Xi, the tour marks a deepening of strategic ties between the two nations–a relationship rooted in decades of mutual benefit since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1963. Relations were briefly suspended in 1967 but re-established in 1978.
Today, China stands as Kenya’s largest trading partner, with engagements expanding in scope and ambition over the years.
This is Ruto’s third visit to China, the most recent being in September 2024 during the Belt and Road Initiative Forum. The BRI, launched by China in 2013, aims to promote global infrastructure development across more than 150 countries.
According to a brief from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussions during the visit will span infrastructure, healthcare, ICT, green energy, manufacturing, and agriculture–all aligned with the Kenya Kwanza administration’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
A landmark outcome of the visit is expected to be the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two nations. The pact will serve as a framework to strengthen bilateral projects, especially under the BRI, and extend support to Kenya’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, county hospitals, and major infrastructure developments.
Key projects in the pipeline include the Rironi-Malaba Highway, the completion of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) phases 2B and 2C, and the Kenya Digital Infrastructure Project. Cabinet approved the dualing of the 170-kilometre Rironi-Malaba Highway last month, with construction slated to begin in June 2025.
Ruto’s delegation includes several cabinet secretaries, among them Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, underscoring Kenya’s proactive approach to deepening sectoral partnerships and attracting foreign investment.
The visit is also expected to unlock opportunities in agriculture, health, education, the blue economy, environmental conservation, digital trade, and the creative economy, especially for youth and women.
On the global stage, President Ruto is set to discuss the reform of the international financial architecture to make it more fair, inclusive, and predictable. Regional peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region will also feature in talks with Chinese leaders.
“We are confident that this visit will contribute to deepening China-Kenya relations, implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, and advancing unity and cooperation within the Global South,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
For Kenya, the visit offers a strategic platform to reinforce its economic agenda and assert its leadership in shaping South-South cooperation for a shared and sustainable future.
Source: AllAfrica
