Kenya and Rwanda Tuesday signed 11 bilateral instruments that seek to deepen cooperation in diaspora affairs, immigration, local governance, irrigation and water resources, conservation, housing and urban development, culture and heritage and justice.
The instruments were signed during the Ministerial Segment of the 10th Session of the Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPCC) in Nairobi held from 5th to 6th October 2026 in Nairobi.
Speaking when he hosted the Session, Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership with Rwanda.
The partnership will focus on trade and investment, infrastructure, transport and logistics, ICT, tourism and East African Community integration.
The instruments provide an enhanced framework for implementing bilateral commitments and expanding cooperation into new areas, building on the strong political and economic relations between the two countries.
In his remarks, CS Mudavadi underscored the importance of facilitating the movement of people, goods, services and capital within the EAC, while highlighting reciprocal land arrangements for the Kenya High Commission in Kigali and Rwanda’s property in Mombasa and Naivasha.
Similarly, he highlighted the recent arrival of Rwanda’s maiden 40,000-tonne bulk petroleum cargo at the Port of Mombasa as an important milestone in strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and regional supply chains.
On her part, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Usta Kaitesi who led the Rwandan delegation described Kenya and Rwanda as longstanding strategic partners noting the expansion of cooperation across diplomacy, security and defence, education, transport, logistics, trade and investment.
She highlighted the potential for increased bilateral trade, noting that Rwanda imported goods worth more than USD 398 million from Kenya in 2025, while exports to Kenya stood at USD 5.3 million.
The Minister commended Kenya’s role in advancing African Union institutional reforms and reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and regional integration through the Northern Corridor.
Further, Dr Kaitesi welcomed Kenya’s development of the East African Oil Refinery in Lamu, noting its potential contribution to regional development.
The two countries agreed to deepen cooperation in defence and security, agriculture, tourism, trade and investment, ICT, education, health and private sector engagement among others.
To ensure delivery, the two sides agreed on clear implementation timelines, with Technical Committees expected to follow up on implementation of agreed commitments.
A Mid-Term Review of the implementation of the JPCC outcomes will be held in Kigali by October 2027, while the 11th JPCC is scheduled for October 2028.
The outcomes of the 10th JPCC reaffirm Kenya and Rwanda’s commitment to translating strong political relations into greater trade and investment, stronger regional connectivity and shared prosperity.
