The President of the Republic of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto was on an official visit to India from December 4 to 6, 2023 at the invitation of the President of India. This marks Ruto’s 1st visit to India as President representing Kenya.
Key Highlights of President Ruto visit in India:
i.India announced USD 250 million Line of Credit (LOC) to Kenya to modernize its agri-sector.
ii.India and Kenya have signed 5 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in various sectors such as: sports, education, culture and digital solutions.
iii.India and Kenya unveiled a blueprint on”Joint Vision Statement on Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region- BAHARI (Ocean in Swahili)”.
iv.Kenya announced to join International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) which will bolster India and Kenya relations in renewable energy. Also, Kenya decided to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to help strengthen global efforts to conserve big cats.
v.India has decided to open its market to avocados from Kenya.
India announced USD 250 million Line of Credit (LOC) to Kenya
India announced to extend USD 250 million as Line of Credit (LOC) to Kenya to help the country modernize its agriculture sector.
- Kenya offered to provide land to Indian companies for cultivation of crops including millets.
- India will share its space technology experience with Kenya and harness it for public welfare.
India and Kenya signed 5 MOUs to enhance bilateral relation
India and Kenya signed 5 MoUs (Memorandum of Understandings) providing cooperation in key areas such as sports, culture, education and digital solutions.
- An MoU was signed between India and Kenya in the field of digital transformation in which India will provide training to Kenya about digital ID and digitizing government services.
- Kenya President expressed interest in learning from India in several areas particularly in space, UPI, Aadhar and health
- MoU was signed between Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Open University of Kenya (OUK) which will promote collaboration in education.
- MoU signed on culture exchanges for the period 2023-27.
- MoU signed between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
India and Kenya issued joint statement on maritime cooperation
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and Kenyan President William Ruto held talks on countering terrorism and aims to boost defence ties between the two countries in order to strengthen maritime security and jointly combat piracy, drug trafficking and terrorism in the Indian Ocean.
- Both countries agreed to hold joint military exercises, capacity building and linking the defence industries.
- Also, They agreed to cooperate in capacity building of defence industries, especially in shipbuilding.
Other Important Announcements:
i.The announcement made to Customize training program for 20 Space Scientists of Kenya Space Agency / University of Nairobi in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in space technology applications.
ii.With Indian remote sensing data sets and a few thematic layers, the geo – spatial information portal for Kenya will be established.
iii.The Indian Council For Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships to be increased from 48 to 80 per year.
iv.India is likely to get more cheetahs from Kenya.
About Kenya:
President – William Samoei Ruto
Capital – Nairobi
Currency – Kenyan Shilling
