Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urges easier trade and travel with Kenya at Mashujaa Day in Eldoret


Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks at a podium at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret during Kenya's Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20, 2026

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks as chief guest at Kenya's 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, October 20, 2026. Photo: Abiy Ahmed (@AbiyAhmedAli) via X

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for easier trade and travel between Ethiopia and Kenya on Tuesday, speaking as chief guest at Kenya's Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret, according to Kenyan media and his office.

The Prime Minister spoke at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Uasin Gishu County, where Kenyan President William Ruto hosted the 63rd celebration of the national holiday that honors those who fought for Kenya's freedom. "Our farmers and producers must trade more easily across our borders. Let more of our people visit each other's countries, discover our cultures and learn together. More families must benefit from our friendship," he said, according to The Star, a Nairobi daily.

He described the relationship as one built on geography and history, as The Star reported. "Geography made us neighbours. History made us brothers. Our choices must make us partners in shared prosperity," he said, and added, referring to the athletics rivalry, "We race as rivals, but build as partners. In Ethiopia, we call this spirit Medemer, meaning synergy." He also pointed to Kenyan business in Ethiopia, saying, "Today, Safaricom connects millions of Ethiopians, and M-Pesa helps people send money and make payments."

The Standard, another Kenyan daily, reported that the Prime Minister spent part of his speech on Kenya's young people. "Freedom is a trust. We pass it to the next generation and we must turn it into opportunity for every citizen," he said, and then told the crowd, "The message to you, young people, is clear. You too can serve and help build Kenya." He recalled the arrest of Jomo Kenyatta and five other Kenyan leaders in October 1952 and compared their struggle with the Ethiopian victory at Adwa in 1896, saying, "African freedom was not given. It was won by people who did not give up their dignity."

On his own X account on Tuesday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed wrote that he had delivered remarks "paying tribute to the heroes who fought for freedom and those who made the ultimate sacrifices to safeguard their nation." The Ethiopian News Agency quoted another part of his message, in which he wrote that "as our histories are intertwined, so too must our futures be" and that the two countries must keep building on their cooperation in clean energy, connectivity, telecommunications and trade. President Ruto thanked him on X "for accepting to be the chief guest in celebrating this year's Mashujaa Day." The Prime Minister's office said he also planted a tree at the Eldoret State House, and TRT Afrika's Swahili service reported on Wednesday that President Ruto had taken him on a private visit to his Koelel farm in Uasin Gishu County, where he showed him dairy and crop operations.

The Abay Times, an English-language Ethiopian news site, reported that no new trade agreement, tariff concession or customs regulation was announced during the speech. The two governments signed a Simplified Trade Border Regime agreement for small traders in Addis Ababa on December 19, 2025, according to Kenya's State Department for Trade, and the Abay Times reported that Ethiopian Electric Power is preparing to double electricity exports to Kenya from 200 to 400 megawatts beginning in December. The Star, citing figures from Kenya's foreign ministry, reported that trade between the two countries rose from $74.9 million in 2019 to $211 million in 2024, with the balance in Kenya's favor.

The visit came as a single, unconfirmed report circulated on X from Bashir Hashi Yussuf, a former editor of the Xog-Ogaal newspaper, saying Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and presidential adviser Yemane Gebreab had asked Kenya in Nairobi to mediate with Ethiopia. None of the three governments has commented on such a meeting.

The trip followed a Tigrinya-language interview in which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned Eritrea that ignoring his warnings would have "very, very, very severe" consequences.

Sources

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