Kenya, Azerbaijan sign energy deal to boost oil, gas and renewables cooperation
The South Caucasus nation, with a GDP of $81 billion and a per capita income of around $8,000 (World Bank, 2023), has traditionally relied on oil and gas exports.
Azerbaijan and Kenya have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding aimed at bolstering cooperation across the energy sector—a move that signals Baku's growing ambitions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The agreement, inked on Tuesday via video conference, brings together Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy and Kenya's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, and outlines joint efforts in oil and gas (including LNG), electricity, and renewables.
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It also promotes infrastructure development and modernisation of energy networks.
"This initiative represents an important step towards expanding the geography of Azerbaijan's energy cooperation and enhancing access to new markets," Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov posted on X after the virtual signing ceremony with his Kenyan counterpart, James Opiyo Wandayi.
We held an online meeting with James Opiyo Wandayi (@OpiyoWandayi), Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum. Within the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the energy sector was signed between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of #Azerbaijan… pic.twitter.com/H3mJyisvx3
— Parviz Shahbazov (@ParvizShahbazov) July 22, 2025
While the Azerbaijani side made the signing public, Nairobi has yet to release official details of the agreement.
Still, it marks a deepening of a two-decade-old diplomatic relationship that has recently picked up pace.
Azerbaijan officially opened an embassy in Nairobi in June 2025, its first in East Africa, which is part of a wider charm offensive across the continent.
The South Caucasus nation, with a GDP of $81 billion and a per capita income of around $8,000 (World Bank, 2023), has traditionally relied on oil and gas exports.
But recent years have seen it diversify into areas such as education, culture, and sports diplomacy, particularly in developing markets.
President William Ruto has met Azerbaijani officials in recent months as part of a broader strategy to widen Kenya's foreign partnerships beyond traditional allies in the West and Asia.
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