State visit · 5 February 2024
Your Excellency, President Andrzej Duda, Honourable Ministers, Ambassadors, Distinguished Officials, Members of the Press, Good afternoon,
On behalf of the Government and the people of Kenya, I am honoured to receive and welcome His Excellency Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, to Kenya. This marks the first-ever visit to Kenya by a Polish President, and it is a great honour to host him and his delegation.
Kenya and Poland share longstanding relations dating back to 1963. Poland was indeed one of the first countries to recognize Kenya upon gaining independence. Our two countries are celebrating six decades of diplomatic relations, making this visit timely. I express gratitude to President Duda for his goodwill in revitalizing Kenya-Poland relations.
Poland is a valued partner of Kenya, with common values and shared aspirations guiding our present and future relationship. We are united in our quest to enhance collaboration in trade and economic affairs, agriculture and food security, environment and climate action, as well as our individual and collective contributions to multilateralism.
We had extensive discussions on the imperative to enhance trade and investment between the two countries. Seizing the presence of a high-powered business delegation accompanying President Duda, I invited them to invest in the numerous opportunities that Kenya offers.
I also encouraged them to leverage Kenya’s strategic geographical advantage, with Nairobi serving as the hub and gateway, for their regional and continental investments. As a technology powerhouse, Kenya offers unrivalled opportunities.
President Duda and I have just witnessed the signing of TWO frameworks of cooperation, further solidifying our relations: (i) MOU on Agricultural Cooperation (ii) MOU on Tax Solidarity Programme These MOUs will cement our aspirations to promote bilateral partnerships in their respective sectors and open up new avenues for collaboration between the two countries and peoples. Several other MOu’s are in the pipeline. We are committed to ensuring their successful implementation.
Later this afternoon, President Duda and I will participate in the Kenya-Poland Business and Economic Forum. We anticipate witnessing the endorsement of various instruments of collaboration between KenInvest and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, as well as between our respective national Chambers of Commerce. We shall also witness the showcasing of Polish technology on the use of virtual reality to support smart welding operations critical in industrial development as well as the deployment of drone technology to monitor our vast wildlife conservation parks. I am confident that this B-to-B meeting will result in higher levels of foreign direct investment from Polish companies into various sectors of our economy.
On environment and climate change, we discussed our shared concerns about the existential threat the globe faces and emphasized the need for concerted efforts to mitigate it. I requested President Duda to consider supporting the Call to Action by world leaders through the "Nairobi Declaration," the outcome document of the Africa Climate Summit held in September 2023. Kenya and Poland have agreed to work together to increase joint efforts to the decarbonization agenda in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity, and give priority to green growth. We have also committed to advocating for a more reformed and inclusive global climate financing framework.
President Duda and I have agreed to collaborate in the agriculture and food security sector to bridge the gap in the demand for wheat and grain products in Kenya. Our country serves as the gateway to the East African Community market and boasts the largest seaports in the region. Consequently, I invited Poland to consider Mombasa and Lamu ports as possible logistical hubs for exporting products, including grains, to the region and beyond.
I urged President Duda to partner with us through public-private and government-to-government partnerships to explore the vast market in the agricultural sector, particularly in post-harvest value addition, aiming to conclusively address food security.
On labour mobility, we discussed the possibility of developing a Labor Mobility Framework to expand job opportunities available for our highly skilled young labour force while narrowing the labour deficit in Poland.
On the multilateral front, I sought President Duda's support for Kenya’s global agenda on climate action, biodiversity protection, and the need to accelerate green growth. We agreed to collaborate within the Economic and Social Council, of which Poland is a member, to address the global dialogue in financing for development, promote inclusivity and equality, and team up to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. I also sought Poland’s support in championing a fair and just multilateral system with a more inclusive global financing architecture.
During our meeting with His Excellency President Duda, we discussed global peace and security, expressing shared concerns about ongoing conflicts and instability in our respective regions. We jointly call for an end to these conflicts and a return to the path of peaceful resolution through dialogue. We have agreed to work together within the available instruments of regional and international organizations to secure a peaceful future for all.
I take this opportunity to once again thank His Excellency President Andrzej Duda for the fruitful engagement and measurable outcomes achieved today. I reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to deepening and broadening our relations with Poland and look forward to many more engagements in the future. I thank you.