Kenyan Ambassador to South Korea Emmy Jerono Kipsoi. (Embassy of Kenya in Seoul)

This year, Kenya celebrated two special milestones: 61 years of independence and 60 years of Kenya-Korea diplomatic relations.

Kenya attained its independence on the Dec. 12, 1963, and weeks later, Kenya and the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations on Feb. 7, 1964.

With Korea having opened a resident mission in Nairobi, Kenya opened its embassy in Seoul in May 2007. Since then, Seoul has been host to four Kenyan ambassadors. I am honored to be the fourth ambassador, having presented my credentials on April 26, 2024 to President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Kenya and the Republic of Korea enjoy long-standing and cordial relations based on mutual trust and shared interests in promoting peace, stability and sustainable development. This bilateral relationship has steered cooperation in areas of education, infrastructure development, ICT, agriculture and health, supported by the Joint Economic Commission framework, which was established in 1997 to facilitate and track areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two countries. Since then, five successful joint meetings have been held that sought to improve trade and economic relations.

President William Ruto made his first visit to the Republic of Korea in November 2022 at the invitation of President Yoon Suk Yeol and held discussions on various avenues for cooperation, including trade, infrastructure, agriculture and the digital economy.

This three-day visit opened new opportunities for bilateral relations and investment between Kenya and the Republic of Korea. The main outcome of the bilateral meeting between the two presidents was Korea agreeing to support Kenya’s development agenda by committing $1 billion under the EDCF framework to various projects, including agriculture, ICT, health, energy, infrastructure, education, affordable housing and urban transport. Through this framework, Kenya continues to work with the Republic of Korea to develop the Konza Technopolis, a smart city promotion zone dedicated to education, ICT, pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine production and value addition in agriculture.

The inaugural Korea-Africa summit provided yet another opportunity for Kenya and Korea to further and deepen their collaboration and cooperation. Kenya was able to sign nine memoranda of understanding in various sectors with both the government and the private sector. The highlight on a bilateral level was on the margins of the inaugural Korea-Africa summit, where Kenya’s delegation, led by President William Ruto, making his second visit to Korea, met with President Yoon to further discussions on the areas of benefit for both countries.

On the sidelines of the summit, Kenya was admitted formally on June 5, 2024 into the International Vaccine Institute as a member state. The event was witnessed by President William Ruto, who raised the Kenyan flag at IVI headquarters in Seoul for the first time. This step was an important and positive leap for Kenya's health sector, coming at a time when Kenya is building a vaccine manufacturing plant. Membership in the IVI will facilitate access to research on vaccines for tropical diseases and enhance primary health care.

Further, Korea offers Official Development Assistance in the form of grants and loans supporting development projects in the human resources, industry, energy, health, rural development, infrastructure, water, ICT, environment, gender, and education sectors. One that is especially worthy of mention is the arrangement on grant aid between the Government of the Republic of Kenya and the Government of the Republic of Korea for the development of the Africa Rice Seed Cultivation Complex, a project that will help Kenya move toward guaranteed food security.

This year saw Kenya co-host two key summits with Korea and other countries: Kenya co-chaired the Third Summit for Democracy on March 20, 2024, and the Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain Summit on Sept. 9-10, both held in Seoul.

On the multilateral level, both countries continue their close cooperation and participation in international organizations and forums such as the United Nations and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, among others. Kenya and Korea are host countries for the Intergovernmental Negotiations Committee. Kenya hosted INC 3 in 2023, and Korea just wrapped up hosting INC 5 in Busan on Dec. 1, demonstrating our shared commitment to environmental conservation.

Kenya’s principal imports from Korea include steam/vapor-generating boilers, tires, tubes, textiles, steel products, electronic goods, vehicles, chemicals, fertilizers and synthetic fibers. Kenya’s main exports to Korea include coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, aluminum, copper and base metals. Despite the growing trade between the two countries, it has been noted that the trade balance remains skewed toward Korea, a situation that I believe can be corrected over time.

Kenya is host to several Korean companies, such as Kumkang Kind East Africa Ltd, Posco International, Samsung C&T Corporation, Dohwa Engineering, LG Electronics Africa FZE, Samsung Electronics, Korea Engineering Consultants Corp., Yooshin, Cheil Kenya Limited, and Bomi Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., which demonstrates our robust trade relations.

It is our goal to further bolster our bilateral relationship in 2025 with a greater focus on energy, the blue economy, ICT, education, agriculture and trade. We encourage Koreans to include on their bucket list for 2025 a visit to “Magical Kenya,” which is known as one of the best wildlife destinations, with the world-renowned Maasai Mara and the wildebeest migration.

For adventurous spirits, there are also many other national parks that offer magical safaris, spectacular coastlines, breathtaking scenery, gorgeous beaches, and friendly and welcoming people. Kenya is also home to globally acclaimed coffee, loved and enjoyed in Korea.

We invite Korean people for a coffee trip that can be curated to suit their tastes. And for the business community, we wish to draw attention to the World Chamber Federation Africa, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from April 9-11, 2025. We wish you happy holidays and a prosperous 2025.

Emmy Jerono Kipsoi is the Kenyan ambassador to South Korea. Views expressed in this article are the author's own. --Ed