President William Ruto has urged Russian companies to set up factories in Kenya, telling investors in Moscow that the current trade relationship, in which Kenya imports about six times more than it sells to Russia, must change.

Speaking at the Russia-Kenya Business Roundtable on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, Ruto pitched Kenya as a manufacturing base and a gateway to East and Central Africa.

"Invest in Kenya, manufacture in Kenya, and serve Africa and the world from Kenya," the President said.

A lopsided trade book

Ruto told the forum that two-way trade stood at about US$380 million (roughly Sh50 billion) in 2025. Of that, Kenya exported goods worth US$52 million (about Sh7 billion), mostly tea, coffee, flowers, fruits and vegetables, while imports from Russia, chiefly wheat, fertilisers, iron and steel, came to about US$330 million (about Sh42.8 billion).

Russian investment in Kenya, he said, stood at only about US$22 million (Sh2.8 billion). "These figures challenge us to rethink the nature of our partnership," he said.

Sectors on the table

The President listed energy, mining and mineral beneficiation, fertiliser production, heavy engineering, transport and manufacturing as areas where Russian capital and technology could match Kenya's industrialisation plans. He said Kenya wants enterprises that process local resources, transfer skills and create jobs.

He also criticised the long-standing pattern of Africa exporting raw materials and importing finished goods, saying it had denied the continent the full benefit of its resources. "It is neither sustainable nor acceptable," he said, adding that Kenya seeks partnerships founded on "sovereign equality, mutual respect, and shared prosperity."

  • Ruto cited Kenya's population of 55 million, GDP of about US$136 billion and 5.3 per cent growth in 2025 as selling points.
  • He said Kenya would like to extend its labour mobility programme, which he said has helped 700,000 Kenyans find jobs abroad, to Russia.
  • He assured investors that Kenyan law protects their investments.

Talks on the sidelines

On the margins of the forum, Ruto met Robert Mirzoyan, chief executive of Russian online retailer Wildberries, to discuss investment in e-commerce. He later joined other African leaders at an exhibition hosted by President Vladimir Putin at the Gostiny Dvor centre.

The President's delegation includes First Lady Rachel Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui and Kenya's ambassador to Russia, Peter Mathuki. Ruto said the partnership should be judged by projects completed, industries built and jobs created, not by the number of agreements signed.

Photos: PCS via Citizen Digital and The Star. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.