Nairobi summit delivers sweeping package covering justice, security, trade, energy, and infrastructure as East African neighbours move to turn political commitments into measurable results.
Rwanda and Kenya have signed 11 agreements and memoranda of understanding covering justice, security, immigration, trade, infrastructure, water management, local governance, culture, and conservation, as the two countries seek to expand bilateral cooperation.
The instruments were signed at the conclusion of the 10th Session of the Kenya-Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPCC), held in Nairobi from October 5 to 6.
What Was Signed
The package includes agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and the transfer of sentenced persons, alongside MoUs on political consultations, immigration, housing and urban development, diaspora management, water resources and irrigation, local governance, cooperation between the Rwanda Investigation Bureau and Kenya National Police Service, culture and heritage, and conservation.
The two sides also reviewed progress made since the ninth JPCC, held in Kigali in April 2023, and agreed to accelerate implementation of outstanding commitments and pending bilateral instruments.
Turning Commitments Into Action
Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Usta Kaitesi, said the JPCC provides a mechanism for turning political commitments into practical cooperation.
“The Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation is an important mechanism for translating our political commitments into concrete actions. It provides us with an opportunity to review the status of our relations in various sectors, identify areas where progress can be accelerated, and explore new areas of cooperation,” Kaitesi said.
Trade: Room to Grow
The session comes as the two countries seek to expand economic ties, with Kenya remaining one of Rwanda’s key regional trading and investment partners.
According to Kaitesi, Rwanda imported goods worth more than $398 million (Sh51.6 billion) from Kenya in 2025, while exports to Kenya were valued at $5.3 million (Sh687.4 million). She said there is room for further growth in bilateral trade.
Kenyan companies have established a presence in Rwanda, particularly in the services sector, while Rwandan companies continue to explore opportunities in the Kenyan market.
The two governments committed to facilitating the movement of goods and services, increasing investment, and strengthening business-to-business links.
Energy and the Northern Corridor
A key development in the energy partnership was the arrival at the Port of Mombasa on September 29 of Rwanda’s maiden bulk refined petroleum cargo, weighing 40,000 tonnes.
Kaitesi described the shipment as an important step in strengthening Rwanda’s energy security and said Kigali would continue working with Nairobi to ensure the bulk petroleum procurement route provides reliable and secure supplies.
Officials noted reciprocal land arrangements as another sign of the two countries’ relations. Kenya has allocated land in Miritini, Mombasa, to Rwanda, while Rwanda has allocated land in Kigali for the construction of the Kenya High Commission’s chancery and official residence.
The two sides also reaffirmed the importance of the Northern Corridor, which connects Rwanda to the Port of Mombasa, and agreed to enhance cooperation in transport logistics, infrastructure, geothermal energy, housing, and urban development.
Air Connectivity Expands
The two sides agreed to strengthen air connectivity. Kenya Airways operates two daily flights between Nairobi and Kigali, while RwandAir resumed its Kigali-Mombasa service in December 2025 after a six-year break, with four flights a week.
Looking Ahead
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, said the next step should be to ensure the agreements produce measurable results.
“As we look ahead, this session provides an opportunity to identify new and emerging areas of cooperation that respond to our evolving regional and global environment,” Mudavadi said.
He cited digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the blue economy, renewable energy, climate action, food security, innovation, and skills development as areas where Kenya wants to deepen cooperation with Rwanda.
Mudavadi also stressed the need for institutions on both sides to maintain follow-up after the JPCC, with clear responsibilities and timelines.
“Our respective institutions should maintain close engagement, with clear responsibilities, timelines, and appropriate follow-up mechanisms to ensure that the decisions and commitments reached are effectively implemented,” he said.
Regional and Continental Coordination
Kaitesi also highlighted Rwanda and Kenya’s shared support for African Union institutional reforms and the African Continental Free Trade Area, noting that both countries were among the early pilot countries under the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative.
The two delegations also exchanged views on regional developments, including the situation in the Great Lakes Region, and reaffirmed their commitment to working through regional and continental mechanisms to promote peace, stability, and development.
They pledged to coordinate within the East African Community (EAC), African Union (AU), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, while supporting greater movement of people, goods, services, and capital across the region.
