Kenya signs agriculture, tax solidarity MoUs with Poland

President William Ruto and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Monday signed two deals in agriculture and rural development and the tax solidarity programme.

The signing followed talks at State House, Nairobi, as Duba undertakes a two-day visit with his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda. Duda arrived on Sunday, kicking off his week-long trip to Africa, with scheduled visits to Rwanda and Tanzania.

“These MoUs will cement our aspirations to promote bilateral partnerships in their respective sectors and open up new avenues for collaboration between the two countries and their peoples,” President Ruto said in his speech at their joint press conference.

The President also said they have agreed to collaborate in agriculture and food security to bridge the gap in the demand for wheat and grain products in Kenya.

“Our country serves as the gateway to the East African Community market and boasts the largest seaports in the region. I invited Poland to consider Mombasa and Lamu ports as possible logistical hubs for exporting products, including grains, to the region and beyond,” Ruto said.

President William Ruto (standing, R) and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda (standing, L) witness the signing of agreements by representatives from their nations during their meetings at the State House in Nairobi on February 5, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

On environment and climate change, President Ruto said they discussed shared concerns about the existential threat the globe faces and emphasised the need for concerted efforts to mitigate it.

“I requested President Duda to consider supporting the call to action by world leaders through the Nairobi declaration, the outcome document of the Africa Climate Summit held last September,” the Kenyan leader said.

Duda thanked Ruto for inviting him to Nairobi - the first historic visit to Kenya by a Polish President after 61 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“This is not just a courtesy visit. I believe it carries an economic charge for the future of both our countries,” he said. "We talked about economic relations and the prospects for their development. In October 2023, the Polish-Kenyan economic forum took place here in Nairobi, which gathered many entrepreneurs interested in cooperation.”

Russia-Ukraine war

In their closed-door meeting, presidents Ruto and Duda engaged in bold discussions about the situation in Europe following Russia's war in Ukraine.

President Ruto refrained from mentioning the crisis in Europe and focused instead on bilateral and multilateral issues but the Polish President did not.

Duda, who arrived in Nairobi with the objective of promoting Polish business interests and discussing the impact of the war on Africa, found the right platform to address European geopolitics in Nairobi.

Kenya’s strong support for Ukraine goes beyond verbal declarations, withNairobi’s voting policy at the UN reflecting the country’s support for resolutions that do not favour Russia.

The visit from a leader of a NATO member state speaks volumes of Kenya’s emergence as an influential voice on the global stage and its close ties with the West. Though there is nothing groundbreaking about this relationship, Kenya is opening doors to new partners from Central and Eastern Europe.

President William Ruto (standing, R) and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda (standing, L) witness the signing of agreements by representatives from their nations during their meetings at the State House in Nairobi on February 5, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

Duda’s visit follows those of Romanian leader Klaus Werner Iohannis and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala last year.

Warsaw, Poland's capital, is developing closer ties with Nairobi, feeling at ease thanks to American influence in Kenya.

The US has played a crucial role in Kenya’s political and economic landscape, leading to speculation that Ruto’s camaraderie with his Western counterparts paints him as a Western puppet.

Poland is a stalwart ally in Central Europe and one of the United States’ strongest partners in fostering security and prosperity.

The crisis in Ukraine turned Poland into America’s ‘indispensable’ ally.

In the afternoon, the two leaders will address the Poland-Kenya business forum. The visiting leader will also lay a wreath at Uhuru Gardens, where Kenya's freedom fighters are honoured, and visit the fire and rescue training center in Kiambu. County.