Kenya, Poland sign MoU on agriculture, rural development

President William Ruto together with Poland President Andrzej Duda shopping at a gift shop,Nairobi on February 05, 2024. [PCS, Standard]

President William Ruto has said Kenya and Poland are committed to enhancing cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.

He said the two nations are keen on strengthening their partnership in trade and economic affairs, agriculture and food security, and environment and climate action.

"Poland is a valued partner of Kenya with common values and shared aspirations guiding our present and future relationship," he said.

He made the remarks during a media briefing with President Andrzej Duda of Poland, who is in the country for a two-day State Visit.

On his part, President Duda said Poland is keen on fostering strong economic relations with Kenya.

"This is not a visit of courtesy, this is a visit which brings with it big economic potential for the future," he said.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding on tax solidarity, and agriculture and rural development.

"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 peoples," he said.

President Ruto and President Duda agreed to scale up collaboration in the agriculture to bridge the gap in the demand for wheat and grain products in Kenya.

Ruto invited Poland to consider Mombasa and Lamu ports as possible logistical hubs for exporting products, including grains, to the region and beyond.

"I urged President Duda to partner with us through public-private and government-to-government partnerships to explore the vast market in the agricultural sector, particularly in post-harvest value addition, aiming to conclusively address food security," he said.

The President commended Poland for supporting Kenya's dairy sector through the provision of milk coolers.

President Duda said Poland's experience in dairy farming will be instrumental in expanding Kenya's milk production capacity.

He noted that Poland is one of the biggest producers and exporters of powdered milk.

President Ruto called on Polish investors to exploit investment opportunities in the country.

He appealed to them to leverage on Kenya's strategic geographical advantage for their regional and continental investments.

"As a technology powerhouse, Kenya offers unrivalled opportunities," he said.

The Head of State also said Kenya is looking for job opportunities in Poland to expand opportunities for Kenyans.

"We discussed the possibility of developing a Labour Mobility Framework to expand job opportunities available for our highly skilled young labour force while narrowing the labour deficit in Poland," he said.

The two leaders also discussed global issues such as peace and security, climate action and green growth and financing for development.

"I sought Poland's support in championing a fair and just multilateral system with a more inclusive global financing architecture," he said.