Poland in Kenya

In Nairobi, the leaders of Poland, Andrzej Duda, and Kenya, William Samoei Ruto, discussed the future directions of development of economic relations between the countries, cooperation in the field of agriculture, and the food and energy crisis resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The presidents were accompanied by the First Ladies: Agata Kornhauser–Duda and Rachel Chebet Ruto, who followed a separate program.

After the official welcome ceremony, the Presidents of Poland and Kenya went to a face-to-face meeting. They then chaired the delegation's talks.

During the meeting with the media, the President pointed out that this is a historic moment because it is the first time that a Polish leader is visiting Kenya. He added that this takes place "61 years after establishing diplomatic relations between our countries."

Andrzej Duda announced that the topics of the talks were the future directions of development of economic relations between Poland and Kenya, as well as cooperation in the field of agriculture and modern environmental protection technologies, including obtaining energy from renewable sources - hydropower and wind power plants.

“We talked about various forms of obtaining energy from renewable sources. I told Mr. President about our transformation process, which - in accordance with the obligations related to our presence in the European Union - we are implementing when it comes to climate protection. About our plans to transform the energy sector, about the development of nuclear energy in Poland, which is an essential factor in implementing European climate policy in our country in the future" he pointed out.

"In October 2023, here in Nairobi, a Polish-Kenyan economic forum took place, which gathered many entrepreneurs interested in cooperation" said Andrzej Duda. He added that "today there will be another meeting of the business round table, where our entrepreneurs, under the presidential patronage, will discuss the possibilities of mutual cooperation and developing relationships."

He pointed out that there are at least several areas where this cooperation is possible.

After the delegation's talks, in the presence of the Presidents, a ceremony of signing memorandums took place, among others. in the field of agriculture and rural development. Poland was represented by Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrzej Szejna.

"I presented the situation of dairy production in Poland, including processing. Poland is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of, among others, milk powder" - said Andrzej Duda. As he pointed out, we have several decades of experience in modern dairy production.

After talks with the President of Kenya, President Andrzej Duda laid a wreath at the monument commemorating Kenya's independence in Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi.

Then, both leaders went to the Polish-Kenyan High-Level Economic Dialogue, where President Andrzej Duda emphasized the importance of the presence of Polish entrepreneurs on foreign markets: "Therefore, I am extremely glad that my visit to Nairobi is accompanied by a strong economic component and adequate representation of Polish business." He also invited the President of Kenya to Poland for a return visit.

In the afternoon, the Presidential Couple met with representatives of the Polish community.

“Only good things are said about Poland and Poles here in Kenya. This is a great achievement of yours" emphasized President Andrzej Duda.

During the ceremony, Andrzej Duda honored representatives of the Polish diaspora and the Kenyan community associated with Poland with state decorations.

“We are very grateful for welcoming us here, so hospitably, and for organizing the meeting with you. We have also been waiting for this meeting for a long time" said Andrzej Duda.

The Polish leader emphasized that Poland is lucky that it has never been a colonizer or exploiter - "Poland's relations with African countries have always been based on respect and understanding of mutual interests. We are not burdened by a colonial past or a history of oppressive relationships. We have always had good relations with African people and countries. This is a good foundation for building strong relationships in the spirit of mutual benefits.”

The next day, President Andrzej Duda visited the Fire and Rescue Training Center in Kiambu. This is a place where Polish and Kenyan experts exchange experiences, conduct fire and rescue training and test new, innovative technological solutions.

The FIRETRACK Center was built by the Polish Center for International Aid in 2018-2020 thanks to funds from the development assistance program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.

“Thanks to Polish development assistance, a professional Kenyan fire brigade was created here. Today, over 60% of Kenya's territory is served by professional firefighters. There are Polish and Kenyan flags on the buildings of the Fire and Rescue Training Center. This is a place we can be proud of for helping others in need.”