NAIROBI, Kenya- President William Ruto on Wednesday held talks with British High Commissioner to Kenya Matt Baugh at State House, Nairobi, reaffirming Kenya’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with the United Kingdom as uncertainty grows over the future of British military training exercises in the country.
The meeting comes as the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) is reported to have cancelled its next scheduled military exercise in Nanyuki, anticipated for September, amid an ongoing standoff over the renewal of the Kenya-UK Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA).
The disagreement stems from Parliament’s push for sweeping reforms to the defence pact before it is renewed.
In a statement after the meeting, President Ruto said discussions with High Commissioner Baugh focused on expanding trade, investment and strategic cooperation between Nairobi and London.
“Our discussions focused on strengthening Kenya-United Kingdom relations. We agreed to leverage the Kenya-UK Economic Partnership Agreement to expand trade, investment and shared economic opportunities,” Ruto said.
The President also briefed the envoy on the implementation of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), saying the two explored opportunities for British investment in Kenya’s development agenda.
“We explored areas of partnership to accelerate our national transformation through strategic investment.”
The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace and security, which Ruto described as essential for sustainable economic growth.
“We also reaffirmed our commitment to regional peace and security, recognising that stability is the foundation of shared prosperity and sustainable progress.”
The meeting took place as negotiations over the future of BATUK remain under close scrutiny.
