Tuesday 17/February/2026 – 08:19 AM
Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, accompanied by Dr. Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, met on Monday, February 16, with President William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, during the official visit to the Republic of Kenya, in accordance with directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Irrigation visit Kenya
Minister Abdel Ati El-Sisi conveyed the greetings of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to his brother, President William Ruto, and delivered to him a written message from the President of the Republic, expressing Egypt’s appreciation for the fraternal relations between the two brotherly countries and the great appreciation that His Excellency the President holds for the Kenyan President and his balanced policy that supports achieving security, stability and development in the Nile Basin and Horn of Africa regions and on the African continent in general.
The Foreign Minister praised the elevation of relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership and the signing of the “Cairo Declaration” during the successful visit of President William Ruto to Egypt at the end of January 2025.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also expressed his aspiration to hold the eighth session of the joint committee between the two countries in Cairo during the current year, stressing the keenness to strengthen joint cooperation in the fields of defence, security, counter-terrorism, water resources, irrigation, renewable energy, pharmaceutical industries, logistics areas, and maritime transport, in addition to renewing interest in strengthening economic relations, increasing Egyptian investments in Kenya, and encouraging the participation of Egyptian companies in implementing development projects, especially in the areas of infrastructure and roads.
Regarding the water security file, Minister Abdel-Ati stressed the importance of cooperation and integration between the Nile Basin countries to achieve common benefit, highlighting the necessity of adhering to consensus and the spirit of brotherhood among the Nile Basin countries to restore inclusiveness and reject unilateral measures. He welcomed the steps taken in the consultative process approved by the Ministerial Council for the Nile Basin Initiative to restore consensus in accordance with international law and in a way that preserves the interests of all the countries of the Nile Basin.
For his part, Professor Dr. Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, stressed Egypt’s keenness to enhance technical cooperation with the sister Republic of Kenya in the areas of drilling underground wells, constructing rainwater harvesting dams, implementing and operating modern irrigation systems, and building capacity and training, in a way that supports Kenya’s national priorities in the water sector.
Dr. Sweilem pointed out Egypt’s keenness to support the Kenyan President’s initiative to enhance and support water infrastructure, which contributes to raising the efficiency of water resources management and enhancing the ability to adapt to the effects of climate change. He stressed Egypt’s readiness to exchange its technical expertise and support cooperation in this field, explaining that Egypt welcomes support for Kenyan dam projects through the new Egyptian financing mechanism with an initial value of $100 million to support the study and implementation of dam projects in the Southern Nile Basin countries.
Dr. Sweilem noted that successful international experiences in river basin organizations demonstrate the importance of cooperative frameworks based on respecting the rules of international water law, taking into account the concerns of all parties, and strengthening the principle of consensus, stressing the importance of preserving the Nile Basin Initiative as the unifying framework for all basin countries.
For his part, President William Ruto asked to convey his greetings and appreciation to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as he praised the constructive roles played by His Excellency in supporting security and stability in Africa and the Middle East, stressing his country’s keenness to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Egypt in light of the historical relations that unite the two countries, and stressing Kenya’s aspiration to continue developing the strategic partnership between the two sides in a way that achieves common interests.
