Poland in Kenya

Historical outline

Diplomatic relations were established between Poland and Kenya on December 13, 1963, as a result of the signing of an agreement on this matter in Nairobi by representatives of both countries. The first Polish diplomat accredited in Kenya was Włodzimierz Dłuski in April 1964, with the rank of chargé d'affaires ad interim. Currently, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi is a regional office, with five other East African countries under its territorial competence: the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Madagascar, the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles. In 2017, the Trade Office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) was opened in Nairobi. Since March 26, 1999, the Polish Consulate has been operating in Mombasa, headed by honorary consul Mr. Jones Skipper Onyino, who in 2018 was awarded the Bene Merito distinction for his services to the promotion of Poland.

In Poland, the accredited ambassador residing in Berlin is Mrs. Stella Mokaya Orina since March 5, 2024.

Until the end of the 1980s, political relations between Poland and Kenya did not go beyond the framework of political correctness. Only after the political transformation in Poland did they significantly revive. Talks between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs have been held quite regularly since 1993. In 1993, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, Krzysztof Skubiszewski, visited Kenya, and in 1995, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, Kalonzo Musyoka, visited Poland. In the following years, there were many bilateral visits at the level of the Minister and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: 2004, visit of min. W. Cimoszewicz in Nairobi; in 2009, visit by min. R. Sikorski in Kenya; in 2020, telephone conversation between Mr. J. Czaputowicz and Mr. R. Omamo.

Since May 2023, the dynamics of bilateral relations has increased. Regular consultations on the development of bilateral relations take place during high-level meetings. The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland held talks twice in August and December with President Ruto, as well as with the then Vice-President Rigathi Gachagua and the heads of the ministries of foreign affairs, treasury, agriculture, investment, trade and industry, and deputy heads of the ministries (environmental protection, water and water infrastructure, development of cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises, mining and maritime economy, as well as local authorities of several counties and leading organizations supporting economic cooperation. In July 2023, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development between vice minister Lech Kołakowski and the vice minister of the Development of Kenya's Livestock, Jonathan Mueke. Kenyan government delegations were hosted twice in September and November led by the deputy head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Kellow Harsama, and key representatives of President Ruto's office.

Between February 4-6, 2024, the first state visit of the President of the Republic of Poland, A. Duda, and his wife took place. The program included, among others: meeting and conversation with the president Ruto, a joint press conference, bilateral talks and participation in the Polish-Kenyan Economic Forum, as well as laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens and a visit to the Fire and Rescue Training Center in Kiambu. The visit resulted in the signing of two MoUs in the field of tax cooperation and agriculture.

Polish representatives also took part in conferences organized by the UN in Nairobi. In 2016, the Minister of the Environment, Jan Szyszko, took part in the UNEA2 conference, and in UNEA4 in 2019, the Minister of Investment and Development, Jerzy Kwieciński, participated. As part of the GoAfrica program, several seminars and visits of Kenyan and Polish businessmen to both countries took place. Interparliamentary cooperation has been developing since 1994. In 2016, at the invitation of the Kenyan Senate, a delegation of the Polish Senate led by Speaker of the Senat Stanisław Karczewski visited Nairobi. The Polish-Kenyan Parliamentary Group operates in the Polish Parliament.

Kenya is a regional business, logistics and trade hub in the whole of East Africa - it generates about 1/3 of the GDP of the East African Community, although problems with corruption, labor market instability, difficult climate conditions and the threat of terrorism on the border with Somalia adversely affect its development and competitiveness. The country attracts foreign capital due to its strategic location and good infrastructure, with an extensive network of air, road and rail connections, as well as thanks to its status as a regional financial center. Over the past few years, the real growth of Kenya's GDP has been around 5% per year. In 2023, according to data from the World Bank, the country's GDP increased by 4.85%. The above economic success was mainly due to the results of the sectors: agriculture, which accounts for about 1/3 of GDP and brings the most profits, as well as tourism, industry and transport, and the introduction of the Kenya Vision 2030 program - a long-term development strategy for the country, focused primarily on industrialization and increased competitiveness. Kenya is characterized by a very young society - 80% of the population is under the age of 35. According to UN estimates, the population of Kenya is currently 55.8 million, and its growth is about 2% per year. According to government forecasts, the population of Kenya will increase to 60 million in 2030 and 75 million in 2050.

Poland has been recording a surplus in bilateral trade with Kenya for years. According to data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS), in 2023 we exported goods for a total amount of USD 41.1 million, while import amounted to USD 19.2 million. Kenya supplies Poland mainly with agricultural products, including coffee, tea, cut flowers, fruits, vegetables, spices and tobacco. Polish companies sell to Kenya primarily wheat, machinery, electrical appliances, clothing, including second-hand clothing, and paper products.

Kenya is the world's second largest exporter of black tea. It is also one of the most promising export and investment markets in Africa. Perspective sectors for Polish companies on the Kenyan market include modern health services, food sales and processing, and agricultural machinery sales. The country's infrastructure needs are also a major opportunity for the construction sector - through the implementation of Kenya's large-scale sustainable development plan called the Big Four, the government aims to modernize and industrialize the country, investing primarily in infrastructure. In addition, as the population grows, the possibilities for building residential, commercial and industrial buildings increase. Since 2017, the Foreign Trade Office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency has been operating in Nairobi, whose task is to support Polish companies planning to enter the Kenyan market.

Kenya is one of the priority countries of Polish development cooperation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, through Polish non-governmental organizations and the Polish Embassy in Nairobi, has been implementing aid projects in Kenya for years in the field of improving access to education and health care, rescue and fire services, entrepreneurship development, access to water and environmental protection. Since 2015, the agreement on granting a loan as part of tied aid has been implemented, under which milk coolers worth over PLN 20 million have been delivered to Kenya.

Links:
ZBH Kenya

The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi has been participating in the European Film Festival in Nairobi for several years. We also regularly show Polish cinema ourselves. In recent years, Polish musicians have also performed in Nairobi: the band Acello Duo, Trio Chopin on Strings, Jimek Dębski, Dorota Miśkiewicz and pianists Rafał Łuszczewski, Wojciech Waleczek and violinists: Agnieszka Kulowska and Michał Buczkowski. The Embassy is involved in the promotion of Rafał Lemkin, the creator of the concept of genocide, as well as Polish-Jewish relations (screening of the film Hiding and seeking American director Menachem Daum).

Kenya is the subject of increased interest of Polish entities in the field of scientific cooperation. Since the signing of the Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between Poland and Kenya in 1964, on average 10 Kenyan students have been eligible to study in our country each year. So far, hundreds of Kenyans have studied at Polish universities.

In 2018, a private university, the Higher School of Social and Natural Sciences. Wincentego Pola from Lublin signed a cooperation agreement with Mount Kenya University regarding study visits of scientific staff and student exchange, the same cooperation agreement was signed in 2019 by the WSB University in Poznań with the University of Poznań. Kenyatta in Nairobi. The cooperation is financed by the EU Erasmus+ program.

From 2021, Kenya is among the countries to which the scholarship program of Stanislaw Banach is addressed. In total, in the 2021/2022 academic year, approximately 150 Kenyan citizens were studying at Polish universities, of which 19 received financial support from Poland (e.g. exemption from fees for education costs and/or scholarships).

Kenyan clergy are also educated in Poland at the University of Stefan Wyszyński and in seminars. Interest in studying in Poland has an increasing tendency due to the attractiveness of the Polish educational offer, the prestige of the diploma and lower costs of living in Poland. In 2017-2018, the Polish educational offer was presented at the educational fair in Nairobi. Four Poles teach at Kenyan universities. There are also temporary stays of Polish scientists.

Academic documents from Kenya are recognized by Polish universities, subject to legalization at the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi.

The website of the Kenyan Ministry of Education
University Education Comission website

The Kenyan Polish diaspora numbers about 120 people, including about 70 missionaries (including Carmelites, Franciscans, Salesians) and nuns. There are also Polish wives of Kenyan graduates of Polish universities and children from these marriages, as well as a group of employees of UN agencies and specialists on private contracts. At the cemetery in Nairobi there is the grave of Prince Eustachy Sapieha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Second Polish Republic, who died in 1963 (from June 1920 to May 1921).

Among the several dozen Kenyans - graduates of Polish universities who completed their studies at the end of the 20th century, there are doctors, pharmacists, people running their own businesses (tourism, construction), managers in the industrial sector, and economists. In March 2021, there was a ceremony of awarding the Bene Merito badge to Dr. Kea Barua, one of the first Kenyan doctors to graduate in Poland. Honorary consul Jones Skipper Onyino from Mombasa is also a graduate of a Polish university and helps the embassy during events involving Polish tourists.

According to data for 2023 (Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report 2023), the number of tourists from Poland in 2023 was 21,365 (Poland is in 22nd place in terms of countries of origin with the largest number of tourists globally and in 7th place in Europe). At the same time, in 2023 Poland was in 6th place in terms of the increase in the number of tourists compared to 2022 (2022 - 13,708, 2023 - 21,365).