Kenya–Russia relations ( sw, Uhusiano wa Kenya-Urusi) (russian: Российско-кенийские отношения) are

bilateral Bilateral may refer to any concept including two sides, in particular: *Bilateria, bilateral animals *Bilateralism, the political and cultural relations between two states *Bilateral, occurring on both sides of an organism ( Anatomical terms of l ...

relations between

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. Russia had established diplomatic relations with Kenya on December 14, 1963, and has since maintained good relations with the

African Great Lakes The African Great Lakes ( sw, Maziwa Makuu; rw, Ibiyaga bigari) are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift. They include Lake Victoria, the second-largest fresh water lake in th ...

country.

Overview

During the Cold war, Kenya was part of the

Non-aligned movement The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the aftermath o ...

and thus maintained good relations with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union even offered Kenyans scholarships to study in the country.

Visits

In October 2019, President

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

made a visit to Russia and attended the Russia Africa Summit in Sochi. Kenya and Russia agreed to form a business council which would oversee joint trade and investment programmes. In November 2010, Russian Foreign Minister

Sergey Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (russian: Сергей Викторович Лавров, ; born 21 March 1950) is a Russian diplomat and politician who has served as the Foreign Minister of Russia since 2004. Lavrov served as the Permanent Represe ...

visited Nairobi. He had a conversation with the President of Kenya Mwai Kibaki and talks with Acting Foreign Minister

George Saitoti George Musengi Saitoti, E.G.H. (3 August 1945 – 10 June 2012) was a Kenyan politician, businessman and American- and British-trained economist, mathematician and development policy thinker. As a mathematician, Saitoti served as Head of the ...

. Lavrov was the first Russian Foreign Affairs minister to visit Kenya.
Russia to invest in East Africa. Retrieved on 27 October 2019.

Trade

Bilateral trade reached a total of Kes.35.22 billion (US$340 million). Kenya exported goods worth Kes.12.85 billion (US$124 million) and Russia exported goods worth Kes.22.37 billion (US$216 million) to Kenya in 2018, according to the Russian Export Centre.
Russia's Vladimir Putin woos Kenya with military kit and energy. Retrieved on 27 October 2019. The main goods Russia exports to Kenya are cereals, iron and steel, fertilizers and paper. Kenyan mainly exports cut flowers, coffee, tea, fruits and vegetables to Russia.
Kenya-Russia agree to form business council as Presidents Kenyatta and Putin meet in Sochi. Retrieved on 27 October 2019.

Development cooperation

Kenya is annually visited by about 10,000 Russian tourists. To strengthen Russian-Kenyan cooperation agreement in the field of tourism Najib Balala, Kenyan Tourism Minister, visited Moscow in March 2011 to participate in the International Tourism Exhibition.

Transport

In November 2009, the Kenyan delegation led by the Minister of Transport Chirau Ali Mwakwere participated in the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Moscow. In 2010 JSC "Aeroflot - Russian Airlines" and "Kenya Airways' commercial agreement on joint operation of the route Moscow - Dubai - Nairobi, and Aeroflot was scheduled to perform passenger and cargo transportation on the route Moscow - Nairobi - Moscow.

Education

As of 2008, the Russian government and private companies have trained approximately 200 people. In addition, Russia annually grants Kenya 30 scholarships from the federal budget. The number dropped to 26 in 2010, because of organisational difficulties with the Kenyan side.

Diplomatic missions

* Kenya has an embassy in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

. * Russia has an embassy in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

References

External links

Documents on the Kenya–Russia relationship from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Embassy of Kenya in Moscow

Embassy of Russia in Nairobi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenya-Russia relations Africa–Russia relations

Bilateral relations of Russia