Kenya, Finland deepen ties with three new cooperation deals

President William Ruto of Kenya and President Alexander Stubb of Finland. [PCS]

Kenya and Finland have signed three memoranda of understanding on education, digitalisation and environmental cooperation during President William Ruto's state visit to Helsinki on Wednesday.

Ruto, who is on a three-nation Europe tour also taking in Belgium and Norway, said the agreements reflected the growing depth of ties between the two countries.

"President Stubb and I have held candid, constructive, and highly productive discussions aimed at deepening cooperation across a broad range of strategic sectors," said Ruto.

The education pact is intended to expand collaboration in technical and vocational training, teacher development and competency-based learning.

The digitalisation and innovation agreement targets digital public services, secure connectivity, innovation ecosystems and emerging technologies.

Ruto said the partnership would support Kenya's bid to become a leading digital economy in Africa.

"This partnership will support Kenya's ambition to become a leading digital economy and innovation hub in Africa, building on our strong record of innovation, including globally recognised platforms such as M-Pesa that have advanced financial inclusion and digital transformation," he said.

The third agreement, on circular economy, bio-economy and climate change, targets environmental sustainability, climate resilience and green growth.

Ruto also disclosed plans for a separate cooperation framework on healthcare, covering universal health coverage, maternal and child health, mental health, medical research and local manufacture of medicines and vaccines.

The Helsinki visit is the second high-level engagement between the two leaders in under a year, following Stubb's state visit to Nairobi in May 2025, during which the two countries signed agreements on political consultations, peace mediation, renewable energy and education.

Stubb described the back-to-back state visits as unusual, saying they signalled a strong bilateral relationship.

Ruto's Europe tour also includes meetings with EU leaders in Brussels and engagements with the Norwegian Shipowners Association and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Oslo, where talks are expected to focus on renewable energy and the blue economy.