President William Ruto turned a single day in Norway into a diplomatic sprint, cramming more than a dozen high-level engagements into Oslo as he pushed Kenya’s case for trade, jobs, clean energy and a stronger African voice in global affairs.
From the moment he landed, Ruto’s schedule ran non-stop.
He opened with talks on Kenya’s maritime agenda with the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.
The meeting yielded an immediate win, with Wilhelmsen Ship Management and other Norwegian firms committing to hiring 120 Kenyan seafarers by the end of the year, with a target of 1,000 by 2030.
Beyond jobs, Ruto explored new shipping routes linking Mombasa and Lamu to Norwegian ports, cooperation on green shipping and decarbonisation, and technology transfer to expand Kenya’s shipbuilding capacity.
The President then moved to meet Norway Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg to discuss lessons that the Kenya’s National Infrastructure Fund could draw from Norway’s $2.1 trillion sovereign wealth fund.
The talks focused on channelling long-term investment into ports, airports, roads, energy and agriculture as Kenya pursues 10,000 megawatts of power to fuel industrialisation.
Later, he met Norfund CEO Tellef Thorleifsson to deepen cooperation in renewable energy, affordable housing and strategic investments tied to green growth.
In the President’s series of meetings, Parliamentary diplomacy featured in the agenda.
Ruto held discussions with the President of the Norwegian Parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, on deepening bilateral ties, promoting democratic governance and advancing peace in South Sudan.
The President also met leaders from Yara International and Mester Grønn to strengthen market access for Kenyan flowers and advance climate-smart agriculture under the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement.
At the Norway-Kenya Business Forum, Ruto made a direct pitch to Norwegian investors, pointing to Kenya’s young workforce, strategic location and clean energy mix.
Though bilateral trade stands at $54 million, he set an ambitious target of $500 million by 2030, urging Norwegian firms to take advantage of Kenya’s position as a gateway to Africa’s 1.4 billion consumers.
Capping the marathon, Ruto addressed the Oslo Forum 2026 High-Level Public Event, where he called for urgent reform of the UN Security Council to give Africa permanent representation.
“There can be no greater paradox than a global peace architecture that excludes the very regions where peace-building is most urgently needed,” he said.
The day closed with a working dinner hosted by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, during which Kenya and Norway signed agreements on peace mediation and carbon market collaboration.
Accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, Ruto said the intensity of the visit reflected a shift in how the world views Africa.
“For far too long, Africa has been viewed primarily as a challenge to be managed rather than an opportunity to be harnessed. That narrative is changing,” he told the business forum.
From maritime jobs to climate finance, parliamentary ties to UN reform, Ruto’s Oslo engagements laid bare Kenya’s strategy of leveraging diplomacy to convert global climate and development partnerships into investment and employment at home.
