President William Ruto with his delegation with UAE Investment Minister Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi in Abu Dhabi.Kenya is exploring striking a new partnership agreement with the United Arab Emirates to extend the Standard Gauge Railway to connect Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan.
President William Ruto made the announcement on Tuesday, the same day he met with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.
“As part of the plan, we have agreed to conduct a feasibility study over the extension of the SGR due to its capacity to foster regional integration and promote trade,” Ruto said in a brief statement on X.
The revelation came after Ruto and his entourage, comprising Prime Cabinet Secretary and Diaspora and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi, Environment CS Aden Duale, and Salim Mvurya of Sports, held talks with the UAE Investment Minister Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi in Abu Dhabi.
“We also agreed on UAE’s investment in the Galana-Kulalu project and other agricultural initiatives aimed at strengthening our food security agenda," Ruto added.
The Galana Kulalu Project is a $52,670,000 (Sh6.8 billion) project by the Kenyan government in partnership with the private sector aimed at providing food security.
The National Irrigation Authority is the implementing agency.
Ruto flew to United Arab Emirates on Monday evening to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) Summit.
A statement from State House said he would also hold high-level bilateral discussions with key global leaders, including His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
On Tuesday, State House announced that Kenya and the UAE had inked a historic Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) aimed at easing the entry of Kenyan goods into the Gulf state.
State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the deal marked a historic milestone in the economic relations between the two countries.
“The agreement strengthens Kenya's position as a gateway to East and Southern Africa and reaffirms the UAE's role as a global logistics and financial hub connecting the Middle East, Asia, and beyond,” Mohamed said.
The CEPA is the first agreement of its kind signed by the UAE with a mainland African country, representing a transformative step in enhancing trade, investment, and economic cooperation, the statement added.