NAIROBI, Kenya-President William Ruto has urged Russian businesses to invest in Kenya’s manufacturing, energy, mining and agricultural sectors, saying the two countries should build industries and create jobs rather than focus mainly on exchanging finished goods.
Speaking at the Russia–Kenya Business Roundtable in Moscow on Wednesday, October 28, Ruto said bilateral trade stood at about $380 million in 2025.
Kenya exported goods worth $52 million, mainly tea, coffee, flowers, fruit and vegetables, while imports from Russia totalled $330 million, including wheat, fertiliser, iron and steel.
He put Russian investment in Kenya at about $22 million.
Using the figures in his speech, Kenya’s imports from Russia exceeded its exports by about $278 million.
Ruto said the trade relationship had a foundation but remained below its potential.
Ruto calls for investment in local industries
Ruto called for Russian capital and expertise to be combined with Kenyan resources, skills and access to African markets.
He said Kenya wanted investment that would establish production facilities, transfer technology, develop skills and create jobs.
“Invest in Kenya, manufacture in Kenya, and serve Africa and the world from Kenya,” he told the investors.
He identified agro-processing, manufacturing, energy, mining, fertiliser production, engineering and transport as areas where Russian capabilities could support Kenya’s industrialisation plans.
He also invited Russian companies to establish production facilities and develop partnerships with Kenyan businesses.
Ruto said Kenya wanted to increase the value of its exports by processing more agricultural produce and mineral resources locally.
He argued that exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods limited the industries and employment created in African economies.
The President also highlighted Kenya’s position as a regional market.
He said the country had a population of 55 million and that the African Continental Free Trade Area offered businesses access to a wider market of 1.5 billion people.
Investment pitch amid global competition
Ruto said Kenya was seeking private-sector participation in infrastructure, including through a plan to mobilise $40 billion over the next decade.
He also pointed to opportunities in geothermal energy, green hydrogen, electric mobility, irrigation, farm mechanisation and agro-processing.
His remarks come as governments compete for investment in technology-intensive sectors.
UN Trade and Development reported that global foreign direct investment rose 6% to $1.6 trillion in 2025, but inflows to developing economies grew by only 2%.
The report said investment was increasingly concentrated in a relatively small number of economies and sectors.
Kenya attracted an estimated $3.2 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, according to figures reported from UNCTAD’s World Investment Report.
Ruto said the roundtable should lead to projects being implemented, industries established and jobs created, rather than agreements alone.
He urged investors to identify specific projects and develop plans with clear implementation timelines.
