NAIROBI,Kenya Dec 26 – In 2025, President William Ruto maintained an active international travel schedule, undertaking a series of foreign trips in what he termed as a quest for growing engagement on the global stage, particularly in areas of climate action, development financing, trade, and regional diplomacy.
United Arab Emirates
The President’s first foreign engagement of the year took him to Abu Dhabi in January, where he attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week summit.
The forum brought together world leaders, policymakers and investors to discuss the global transition to clean energy and sustainable development.
During the visit, President Ruto used the platform to highlight Kenya’s position as a leader in renewable energy, particularly geothermal power, while holding bilateral discussions with leaders of the United Arab Emirates on trade and investment cooperation.
Uganda
Later in January, Ruto travelled to Uganda to attend an African Union extraordinary summit focused on agriculture and food security.
The meeting centred on strategies to address hunger and boost agricultural productivity across the continent.
He returned to Uganda again in November, where he attended the commissioning of a large steel manufacturing plant in Tororo, reflecting continued economic engagement between Kenya and its western neighbour.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia featured prominently in the President’s 2025 travel calendar, with several visits to Addis Ababa for continental and global meetings.
In February, he attended the African Union Assembly, which brought together heads of state to deliberate on peace, security and institutional reforms.
He returned to the Ethiopian capital mid-year for the United Nations Food Systems Summit stocktake, where leaders reviewed progress on transforming global food systems.
In September, Ruto was again in Addis Ababa for the Africa Climate Summit, a major continental forum on climate financing and adaptation, before making a brief working visit towards the end of the year to strengthen bilateral relations.
The President concluded his foreign travel for the year with a one-day working visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, shortly before Christmas, where he held talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on regional security and stability in the Horn of Africa.
China
In April, President Ruto undertook a state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The visit focused on deepening bilateral relations, with discussions spanning infrastructure development, manufacturing, agriculture and green energy.
Several cooperation agreements were concluded during the visit, reflecting Kenya’s continued engagement with China as a key economic partner.
Spain
The President’s European engagements included a trip to Spain in June, where he attended the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville.
The meeting addressed global development financing challenges, including debt sustainability and resource mobilisation for developing countries.
United Kingdom
From Spain, Ruto proceeded to the United Kingdom, where he signed a renewed Kenya–UK Strategic Partnership covering the period to 2030. The agreement outlined cooperation in trade, climate action, technology and security, with a focus on expanding bilateral trade.
Japan
In August, Ruto travelled to Japan to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). The summit brought together African and Asian leaders, investors and development partners, providing a platform for Kenya to promote investment opportunities and outline its development priorities.
United States
In September, President Ruto led Kenya’s delegation to the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in New York, where he continued to push for reforms to the global financial system.
While in the United States, he also convened a high-level meeting on the security situation in Haiti.
December marked the peak of President Ruto’s diplomatic calendar with a visit to Washington, D.C., where he held talks with the new United States administration under President Donald Trump.
The discussions focused on trade, security cooperation and development support. During the visit, Ruto joined Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo in witnessing the signing of a DRC–Rwanda peace agreement, reinforcing Kenya’s role in regional mediation efforts.
The trip also yielded a $1 billion debt-for-food arrangement and agreements on health technology cooperation.
Qatar
In November, the President visited Doha, Qatar, to attend the United Nations World Summit for Social Development. The summit focused on poverty eradication, social inclusion and employment creation. On the sidelines of the meeting, Ruto held talks with Qatari officials aimed at strengthening economic ties and attracting investment into key sectors of the Kenyan economy.
The President returned to the Middle East in November for the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2) in Doha, Qatar. On the sidelines of the summit, Kenya signed a skilled labour agreement with Qatar aimed at expanding employment opportunities for Kenyan workers in the Gulf region.
Angola
Later in the month, he travelled to Luanda, Angola, for the African Union–European Union Summit. The meeting reviewed progress in Africa-EU relations, with discussions on trade, investment, climate action and institutional reforms within the African Union. President Ruto took part in high-level engagements aimed at advancing Africa’s interests in its partnership with the European Union.
