NAIROBI, Kenya – History touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport this week. For the first time ever, a Slovenian Head of State has arrived in Kenya—and she’s not here for a vacation.
President Nataša Pirc Musar of Slovenia is on a three-day state visit packed with diplomacy, development, and more than a few groundbreaking moments.
She was welcomed by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Chief Musalia Mudavadi, flanked by Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa.
The visit marks 21 years since diplomatic ties were officially inked between Kenya and Slovenia back in 2004, and it couldn’t be more timely.
As global challenges intensify—from climate change to development gaps and digital divides—Musar’s arrival signals a growing urgency to strengthen partnerships that deliver real-world solutions.
Musar will hold bilateral talks with President William Ruto, focusing on economic collaboration, regional peacebuilding, and Kenya-Slovenia cooperation on the multilateral stage. Climate change mitigation, sustainable development financing, and UN reform will dominate the agenda—because in 2025, diplomacy is as much about carbon emissions as it is about protocol.
One of the major highlights: Musar will headline Kenya’s Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1 in Homa Bay County. The national holiday honors Kenya’s path to internal self-rule, and this year, it gets a historic global touch.
But Musar isn’t just here to wave flags.
She’ll officially launch The Conduit, a cutting-edge Climate Intelligence Hub at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). It’s a joint venture between Kenya’s JHUB Africa and Slovenia’s SPACE-SI, aimed at empowering youth-led innovation in climate action, smart agriculture, and emerging digital technologies.
JHUB Africa has long positioned itself as a bridge between academia and action—creating scalable tech solutions to Africa’s thorniest development challenges. The partnership with SPACE-SI amplifies that impact with European space science muscle, offering a futuristic edge to Kenya’s innovation ecosystem.
This state visit also builds on a steady drumbeat of diplomatic progress.
In late 2024, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon visited Nairobi, proposing formal political consultations and exploring the idea of a Slovenian diplomatic mission in Kenya. Just last month, Kenya appointed its first ambassador to Slovenia, Maurice Makoloo, based out of Vienna. Call it momentum—and Musar’s visit is the accelerator.
With shared goals in climate resilience, sustainable development, and digital innovation, Nairobi and Ljubljana are laying the foundation for a new kind of global partnership—one that’s grounded in mutual benefit, not charity.
So, what’s next?
Expect deeper collaboration in science, education, and multilateral diplomacy. As President Musar walks the talk on climate and innovation, her Kenya visit might just reset the tone for how small but ambitious nations can shape global change—together.
