Kenya is seeking more Turkish investment and expanded trade as Nairobi moves to turn longstanding diplomatic ties with Ankara into a stronger economic and strategic partnership.
Prime and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi says Kenya wants closer cooperation with Türkiye in investment, trade, tourism, manufacturing, aviation, health and security.
“Stronger global partnerships should open doors for Kenyan businesses, create jobs and connect our people to bigger markets,” Mudavadi said after meeting members of the Türkiye-Kenya Parliamentary Friendship Group in Nairobi.
The talks focused on attracting more Turkish investment to Kenya and expanding commercial links between businesses in the two countries.
Mudavadi mentioned tourism, aviation, manufacturing, investment and trade as priority areas, saying deeper cooperation could support job creation, technology and skills transfer and Kenya's integration into regional and global value chains.
Aviation was among the areas discussed, with Kenya and Türkiye exploring stronger links between Kenya Airways and Turkish Airlines.
“Greater connectivity can bring more tourists, investors and business opportunities to Kenya, while closer cooperation on peace, security and counter-terrorism helps protect the stability that allows our economies to thrive,” he added.
Stronger connectivity with Türkiye would also support Kenya’s ambition to position itself as a gateway to East Africa and a regional hub for tourism, investment and international business.
The delegation, which included lawmakers from the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, was also hosted by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.
Kenya-Türkiye Parliamentary Friendship Group chairperson Adan Keynan said the meeting provided an opportunity to deepen inter-parliamentary relations, strengthen legislative exchanges and identify new areas of institutional cooperation and people-to-people links.
The parliamentary engagement is expected to complement the Executives’ relations by providing lawmakers with another platform to sustain political dialogue and promote closer bilateral cooperation.
Security and defence also featured prominently in the discussions.
These talks follow the signing of a new defence deal in May on the sidelines of the 5th International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul.
The agreement provides a framework for enhanced cooperation in key areas, including military training, defence industry development and modernisation, pillars Defence CS Soipan Tuya said align with Kenya’s long-term capability needs.
The Turkish delegation offered to share its experience in counter-terrorism, defence sector development and the establishment of an indigenous defence industry.
Türkiye also highlighted its engagement in Somalia and its broader interest in supporting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.
The discussions also come against the backdrop of the Defence Industry Agreement signed in 2023.
The Turkish delegation expressed optimism that the agreements would progress through the respective legislative processes and provide a broader framework for defence cooperation.
Mudavadi welcomed Türkiye's contribution to regional and international peace and security and urged Ankara to sustain its diplomatic and mediation efforts in support of dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The Turkish delegation also shared its experience in health infrastructure, social health protection and specialised medical services. They offered to explore cooperation in hospital infrastructure, medical training, health technology and health system management.
The Turkish delegation was led by Ismail Güneş, a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly for Uşak Province and co-chair of the Türkiye-Kenya Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Güneş said Türkiye's diplomatic presence in Africa had expanded significantly, with its embassies increasing from 12 to 44, reflecting Ankara's growing engagement with the continent.
He also pointed to successive high-level exchanges between Kenya and Türkiye as having strengthened the political foundations of the relationship.
