Ruto bids farewell to Angolan Ambassador Abilio

President William Ruto has bid goodbye to outgoing Angolan Ambassador Sianga Abilio at the State House in Nairobi.

During the meeting on Wednesday, Ruto congratulated Abilio for completing his tour of duty and wished him well in all his future endeavours.

The President noted that Kenya and Angola have had a strong and cordial relationship for the past 50 years.

“Our areas of convergence and mutual interest include trade and investment and education,” he said.

“The bonds between our two countries were significantly boosted by President Lourenço's State Visit to our country in 2023, and the 11 memoranda of understanding our two governments signed, ranging from agriculture, forestry and wildlife management.”

In October 2023, both Ruto and Lourenco witnessed the signing of the MoU, which marked a significant milestone in strengthening the relations between the two countries.

The points agreed on included Wildlife management and conservation, where the presidents agreed to collaborate on the protection and sustainable management of wildlife resources.

They also discussed shipping and maritime cooperation, collaboration in maritime activities, including shipping and port management, and youth development by implementing programs aimed at empowering and developing the youth in both nations.

The two heads of state also agreed on agriculture in sharing best practices and technologies to boost agricultural productivity, oil and gas as well as facilitating cooperation in the energy sector.

Further, they agreed on mining, promoting joint ventures and knowledge exchange in mining operations, health in collaborating on healthcare initiatives, including disease prevention and treatment programs, and trade on enhancing trade relations to boost economic ties between the countries.

Ruto and Lourenco also talked about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) through sharing expertise and resources to advance ICT infrastructure and services, and education, in fostering academic exchanges and educational partnerships.

In the latest agreement, direct flights between Kenya and Angola will resume in March.

This is following an official announcement at presidential-level talks in Luanda on January 9.

"This move will enable our professionals like teachers to access Angola much more easily," Ruto said then.