Kenyan President William Ruto welcomed talks with European Union officials about election observers for the 2027 vote, while urging financing and trade changes he said would help Kenya’s development, Anadolu Agency reported.
At a Nov. 12 meeting with EU delegation heads in Nairobi, Ruto said Kenya was ready to discuss arrangements for an EU Election Observation Mission under Kenyan law and procedures. His remarks did not confirm that the EU would send observers for the August 2027 election.
Ruto argued that borrowing costs and debt payments leave African governments with less room to fund development. He urged European governments to back changes to international finance and expand access to concessional loans and investment for infrastructure and industrial projects while keeping debt sustainable.
He also sought European help as Kenya works to address deficiencies cited by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in controls against money laundering and terrorism financing. Ruto said Kenya had addressed 13 of 21 deficiencies identified by the group. Kenya is also seeking removal from the EU’s high-risk list.
Ruto called for more European funding for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which Anadolu Agency said faced financial and operational difficulties. The European External Action Service said the EU and its member states adopted a €75 million contribution to the mission in April 2026. Separately, the EU Council adopted a €20 million European Peace Facility measure to support the Kenya Defence Forces on June 24, 2024.
Ruto said the talks produced an agreement to deepen cooperation on trade, security and sustainable development as Kenya and the EU marked 50 years of diplomatic relations. He said the EU accounts for 21% of Kenya’s global exports and is its largest export market. Ruto called for more European investment and fewer trade barriers, particularly for smallholder farmers.
