President William Ruto bids farewell to outgoing Finland ambassador Pirkka Tapiola at State House, Nairobi, July 8, 2025. /PCS
President William Ruto has bid farewell to four European Union ambassadors whose diplomatic assignments in Kenya have concluded.
Speaking during a farewell meeting at State House, Nairobi, on Monday, July 8, the President praised their role in strengthening ties between Kenya and their respective countries.
The four outgoing ambassadors whose diplomatic tenures in Kenya have concluded are Pirkka Tapiola (Finland), Katarína Žuffa Leligdonová (Slovakia), Christina Diaz (Spain), and Caroline Vicine (Sweden).
“Relations between Kenya and the European Union have grown from strength to strength, including in trade and investment, climate mitigation, peace and security, education and agriculture, among others,” the President said.
He noted that these ties were further deepened by the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force on July 1, 2024, granting Kenyan businesses duty-free and quota-free access to the EU’s 450 million-strong market.
Ruto thanked the departing envoys for their service and diplomatic engagement, saying their efforts had brought Kenya and their nations closer together.
“I offer my good wishes on your next responsibilities,” he added.
The EU is one of Kenya’s key development and trade partners, and the envoys’ departure comes at a time of renewed cooperation between Nairobi and Brussels across various strategic sectors.
The EU is Kenya’s most important export market with 13.6 per cent of its total exports in 2023, followed by Uganda (9.5 per cent) and the United States (8.7 per cent).
The EU’s imports from Kenya amount to €1.2 billion and are mainly vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
EU’s exports to Kenya amount to €1.7 billion and are mainly in mineral and chemical products and machinery.
Kenya is mainly importing from China (17.7 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (15.1 per cent), and India (9.5 per cent); the EU is ranked in fourth place, with 8.1 per cent of total Kenyan imports.
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and Kenya was explicitly integrated as a key deliverable of the EU-Kenya Strategic dialogue, launched in June 2021, and it is a crucial component of our Africa engagement strategy.
