Iran President to Meet Ruto on Tuesday in 3-Day Africa Tour

President William Ruto will on Tuesday host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the State House in Nairobi for a three-day visit to Africa. 

The purpose of his trip is to broaden the scope of Iran’s export markets and to foster trade relationships with Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Statista reports that tea and horticulture are the main products that Kenya exports to Iran - in 2022, these exports earned Kenya over Sh163 billion. In March this year, a new agreement was reached allowing Kenya to send 40-50 tonnes of sheep and meat to Iran each day, expected to generate around Sh773 million a month per deal. 

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua noted that this new deal would not only help the Kenyan economy but would also create more opportunities for farmers and traders. On top of this, Mutua stated that Kenya would also export 10,000 tonnes of onions to Iran in addition to tea. President Raisi, who has been in office since August 2021, is continuing to strengthen Iran’s foreign policy and deepening its ties with other countries. His visit to Kenya is an important step in diversifying diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Ruto on Saturday witnessed the signing of 18 bilateral agreements in Congo. The Head of State proclaimed that the agreements inked will be beneficial in increasing the potential for trade and improving the economic well-being of both Kenya and Congo. The agreements included the development of collaborations in areas such as commerce and investment, energy, information and communication technology, transportation, security, education, tourism, culture, agriculture, and the aquatic economy.

"The ties with the Republic of Congo provide us with a unique opportunity to reinvigorate our bilateral relations, and reaffirm our steadfast commitment to multilateralism and our unwavering unity of purpose as Africans," Ruto said on Saturday.