President William Ruto has returned from a state visit to Qatar with a raft of job opportunities and investment commitments aimed at strengthening Kenya’s economy and boosting bilateral ties with the Gulf state.
During the visit, Qatar agreed to provide 13,000 new job openings for Kenyan workers, bringing the total number of Kenyans employed in the country to about 90,000.
The two governments also announced plans to open a Qatari Visa Centre in Nairobi by early 2026 to streamline recruitment processes and protect workers from exploitation by rogue agencies.
The trip also saw progress in aviation cooperation as Ruto reaffirmed the Kenya Airways partnership with Qatar Airways to improve air connectivity, tourism and trade.
In a move to deepen financial ties, the Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority and the Qatar Financial Centre signed an agreement to promote investment and position Nairobi as a stronger regional financial hub.
Ruto held talks with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, focusing on potential Qatari investment in Kenya’s key sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, water, manufacturing, ICT and finance.
Qatar is particularly interested in supporting Kenya’s mega-dam programme that aims to bring two million acres of land under irrigation.
The Gulf nation will also explore opportunities within Kenya’s Sovereign Wealth Fund and National Infrastructure Fund, which are designed to attract capital for large-scale development projects.
The president also met Kenyans living in Doha and pledged to introduce a diaspora bond, improve passport services, reduce remittance costs and tighten oversight of labour recruitment agencies.
At the United Nations Social Development Summit, where he spoke on behalf of the Africa Group, Ruto called for debt relief, digital inclusion, fairer global systems and reforms within the UN to better represent developing nations.
