Of the agreements inked on Tuesday 4th March 2023, six were signed by both countries’ Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta and his counterpart Alfred Mutua. These include correctional services, diplomatic training, ICT, health, youth, and cooperative development. In addition, three agreements in education, agriculture, and gender were signed by each country’s respective ministers.
Rwanda and Kenya have enjoyed cordial bilateral ties across different sectors of development for a long time. Kagame said that the new areas of cooperation will bring people in both countries even closer, with regional integration and trade being a big part of the equation of private sector growth.
“We are happy that Rwanda is home to a large and vibrant Kenyan community, we are grateful for their contributions to our development. I hope that we can leverage this shared interest to equip our youth with the skills and knowledge to innovate and compete,” he added.
Kagame noted that the people of Rwanda and Kenya are also united by a common vision for a more stable region. Ruto said that the signed MoUs in different sectors will consolidate the relationship between the two countries, present a new momentum, and create new impetus for the expansion of engagements between both countries.
“Just like Rwanda is a gateway for us in the Great Lakes Region, we are also aware that Mombasa is an important port for the people of Rwanda and creates the synergy between our two economies, and we will continue building the network necessary for us to benefit from it,” he added.
Regarding the ongoing education system reform in Kenya, Ruto stated that the agreement in the education sector will assist in tackling the significant challenge of financing university education. The aim is to share experiences and identify ways to make education more relevant, easily delivered, and cost-effective.
Furthermore, Ruto highlighted that there will be an exchange of expertise and resources between the large referral hospitals in both countries in the health sector.
Ruto also affirmed the positive relationship between the two countries and their desire to strengthen and expand their friendship and unity.
It is worth noting that Rwanda and Kenya have ratified the One Area Network, which allows for reduced call rates between both countries, thus facilitating business growth.
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