Kenya President Visits Kazakhstan to Strengthen Trade and Diplomatic Ties

President William Ruto described his state visit to Kazakhstan as deliberate and intentional during bilateral talks in Astana. The meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev marked the first official visit by a Kenyan president to the Central Asian nation. Ruto thanked Tokayev for the invitation and the hospitality extended during the visit.

Ruto noted that relations between the two countries date back to 1993 and gained new momentum after a 2023 meeting in New York. Kazakhstan opened a resident embassy in Nairobi in June 2025. The embassy has promoted trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the two nations.

Earlier this year, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kazakh embassy hosted the first Kenya-Kazakhstan Business Forum in Nairobi.

Ruto highlighted Kenya's exports of tea, coffee, and other agricultural products to Kazakhstan. He said Kazakhstan could serve as a gateway for Kenyan goods into the broader Eurasian market. Kazakhstan has a GDP exceeding $286 billion and is the largest economy in Central Asia. Ruto stated that the visit aims to build on existing trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.