Ruto Holds Talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin

President Ruto on Monday held talks with his German counterpart Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin.

The two leaders agreed to prioritize the elimination of non-tariff barriers in order to reduce the costs of business and ease the movement of goods and services.

Ruto said the removal of non-tariff barriers will also enhance investments by German businesses in Kenya. “This will improve the balance of trade that is currently in favour of Germany,” he said.

In addition, Ruto and Steinmeier agreed to strike deeper and broader economic cooperation for the prosperity of their countries.

Earlier in Potsdamer Platz, Ruto met with Dr Markus Jerger, the Chairman of Der Mittelstand-German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW).

Ruto has invited German businessmen to invest in Kenya’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, saying Kenya stands to benefit from the German sector, which is among the most vibrant, organized, experienced and resourced in the world, providing more than 60% of the country’s employment.

Ruto reiterated his administration’s commitment, under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, to supporting small enterprises to blossom.

“That is why we have put more than Sh50 billion in the Hustler Fund to provide affordable credit to millions of Kenyans who depend on the MSME sector for a living,” he said.

On his part, Dr. Jerger noted that there are huge opportunities “for us in Kenya’s value addition program”.

“We can invest in cold storage technology to reduce post-harvest losses. We are already doing it in Senegal,” he said.

Ruto further held talks with the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA) led by its Chairman Michael Schumann and agreed on the approaches to bringing more German and international businesses to Kenya.

The association cited food processing, digital economy, and intellectual property rights, among others, as some of the potential areas to invest in.

Ruto is on a four-day visit to Germany and Belgium to strengthen bilateral relations and explore partnerships on renewable energy, green industrialization, and trade.