Kenya is turning to Finland’s globally respected education model as it seeks to elevate the quality of learning and strengthen its role in peace and international cooperation.
This came to light during Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s visit to Nairobi, where he held talks with President William Ruto at State House on Monday.
Top on the agenda was education—a sector President Ruto described as the cornerstone of the country’s development.
He noted that Kenya was eager to enhance ties with Finland in this area to support its shift to a full Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“We look forward to strengthening existing collaborations and exploring new opportunities to elevate our cooperation to a strategic level,” Ruto stated.
Read More
The meeting set the stage for deeper engagement in technical and vocational training, digital education, and academic research.
Ruto said a formal agreement was in the works to anchor this partnership across all levels of education.
“A cooperation framework will soon be concluded, focusing on basic, technical, vocational, and higher education to equip our youth with the skills needed in a digital economy,” he said.
President Stubb is expected to visit a local technical training institution during his stay to see first-hand how vocational training is shaping the country’s youth.
But education was not the only focus.
The leaders also discussed a broader plan to work together in global affairs.
According to President Ruto, Kenya sees Finland’s consistent stance on democratic values, climate responsibility, and international cooperation as closely aligned with its own path.
He said the two countries had reached a consensus on working more closely on several fronts—among them peace and security, renewable energy, trade and investment, health, and climate action.
Ruto also urged for reforms in international governance systems, particularly those managing global peace and security.
The two presidents presided over the signing of two memoranda—one on political consultations, the other on peace mediation and conflict resolution. Ruto hinted at more to come.
“Our respective teams will fast-track cooperation frameworks in education, tourism, and labour recruitment frameworks that will foster knowledge exchange, skills development, institutional partnerships, and deeper people-to-people ties,” he said.
Climate-smart agriculture, biodiversity protection, and clean energy also featured prominently in the bilateral discussions, as both countries pushed for practical responses to the challenges of global warming and environmental degradation.
With this new agreement, Kenya is positioning itself not just as a beneficiary but also a contributor to shared global solutions—drawing strength from partners like Finland to support its national goals while engaging more deeply with the rest of the world.
-1747044850.jpg)
