Conference remarks · 26 March 2026
Your Excellency, Distinguished Officials, Ladies and gentlemen;
I take this opportunity to once again warmly welcome my brother, Daniel Francisco Chapo and his delegation to Nairobi. We are particularly grateful for his presence as the chief guest at the 4th Kenya International Investment Conference.
This visit reflects our shared commitment to further deepening the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries and affirms Mozambique’s central role as a strategic partner for Kenya in Southern Africa. Ladies and gentlemen,
Our founding fathers envisioned a continent anchored on PanAfrican solidarity and collective advancement. Today, that vision is more critical than ever. The rise in protectionism, the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the conflict in the Middle East underscore the urgent need for Africa to strengthen unity and accelerate regional integration to better shield our economies and societies from external shocks.
The bilateral talks we have just concluded focused on advancing this shared vision. We reaffirmed the strong and cordial ties between our two countries, further reinforced by the successful convening of the 3rd Session of the Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation held ahead of this visit.
The session enabled us to review progress in implementing agreed outcomes, address challenges encountered, and identify practical measures to enhance the effectiveness of our cooperation.
As a tangible outcome of this engagement, we have today signed three Memoranda of Understanding in key sectors: i.
MoU on Diplomatic Training, Research and Capacity Building, covering training, exchange programmes, and research; ii.
MoU on Penitentiary and Prison Services, aimed at improving standards in correctional services; and iii.
MoU on Cooperation in Youth and Sports, focusing on youth development and sports collaboration.
These agreements mark an important milestone in our bilateral relations and provide a strong framework for deepening cooperation. We agreed to ensure their timely and effective implementation so that our people derive maximum benefit from this partnership.
Turning to trade and economic cooperation, we welcomed the steady progress made and the strong opportunities to further expand and diversify our trade. We identified key areas for growth, including pharmaceuticals, tea, edible oils, cosmetics, industrial products, and agro-processing.
To advance this, we agreed to strengthen business linkages through participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, enhance engagement through the Kenya-Mozambique Business Forum, and address tariff and non-tariff barriers to unlock greater trade flows and promote mutually beneficial growth.
Tourism also featured prominently in our discussions as a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and cultural exchange. We identified opportunities for collaboration in joint destination marketing, the development of integrated coastal and safari tourism circuits, and the promotion of intra-African travel.
By strengthening cooperation between our tourism institutions and private sector stakeholders, we aim to increase visitor flows, diversify our tourism markets, and offer richer and more compelling travel experiences across our regions.
Equally important is energy cooperation, which remains central to advancing sustainable development and inclusive growth in our two countries. We recognised the strong complementarities between our economies, particularly Mozambique’s natural gas and coal resources and Kenya’s growing energy needs, as well as our continued progress in clean energy.
To support this, we agreed to promote partnerships in energy development, including opportunities in natural gas, while also strengthening collaboration in renewable energy to support a reliable, sustainable, and diversified energy mix.
We also highlighted the critical role of aviation as a key enabler of trade, tourism, and people-to-people connectivity. We acknowledged the importance of existing air links and agreed to explore practical measures to further expand connectivity, including enhancing routes and frequencies to better support growing demand.
Beyond this, we discussed the vast potential of our maritime and blue economy sectors, given our extensive coastlines along the Indian Ocean. These resources present significant opportunities for sustainable development, trade expansion, and socioeconomic transformation.
Building on this, we agreed to explore stronger cooperation between the Port of Mombasa and Mozambican ports to support the development of an integrated East–Southern Africa logistics corridor. This will enhance regional connectivity, reduce trade costs and delays, and support industrialisation and export growth.
We further committed to promoting the sustainable utilisation of our ocean resources, including through cooperation in fisheries, maritime security, and the broader blue economy, to drive inclusive growth and long-term prosperity.
To ensure that the areas of cooperation we have identified translate into concrete results, we directed the ministers responsible for energy, tourism, trade and commerce, transport and logistics, and the digital economy to meet within the shortest time possible to agree on clear modalities for implementation and deliver tangible outcomes.
Our discussions also addressed the threat of terrorism, which continues to pose serious social, economic, and human costs. We emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation, including intelligence sharing and coordinated counter-terrorism measures, to safeguard our peoples and promote peace and stability.
Accordingly, we reaffirmed our commitment to working together, as well as with regional and international partners, to enhance efforts aimed at preventing and combating terrorism.
We also recognised the potential of the African Continental Free
Trade Area and the Tripartite Free Trade Area in advancing our shared development priorities under African Union Agenda 2063, strengthening regional integration and promoting inclusive economic growth.
We further exchanged views on ongoing African Union institutional reforms and reaffirmed our commitment to enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness of the Union, while underscoring the importance of continued collaboration among Member States, including Kenya’s role in championing this agenda.
More broadly, we underscored the importance of a rules-based international order in addressing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and conflicts, and reaffirmed our commitment to multilateral cooperation.
Finally, let me once again thank my dear brother, President
Chapo, and his delegation for this visit and for the constructive engagements we have had today. Kenya remains committed to working closely with Mozambique to deepen our cooperation and advance our shared aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity. I thank you. ###