Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on Kenya and Ethiopia to deepen their economic partnership, arguing that stronger trade, energy cooperation and business links can help both countries achieve shared prosperity.
Speaking on Tuesday, October 20, during Kenya’s 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret, where he attended as the guest of honour, Abiy said the two neighbours should turn their historical relationship into a stronger partnership built around practical economic opportunities.
“History made us brothers, our choices must make us partners in shared prosperity,” Abiy said, according to Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
He urged farmers and producers in both countries to trade more easily across their shared border. He encouraged citizens to travel between the two nations, experience each other’s cultures and learn from one another.
Abiy also pointed to existing energy and transport connections as examples of how cooperation could deliver tangible benefits. He referenced electricity flowing across the border since 2022 and the road linking Mombasa with Hawassa, an industrial city in southern Ethiopia.
He described the Ethiopian concept of Medemer, often translated as synergy or coming together as a guiding principle for the relationship, saying the two countries could build more by working as partners than by competing against each other.
The prime minister also highlighted Safaricom’s role in Ethiopia’s expanding business and digital economy, pointing to the use of M-Pesa for payments and money transfers as an example of how commercial connections can make cross-border activity easier.
Abiy’s remarks placed trade and private-sector cooperation at the centre of his message to Kenya, with an emphasis on making it easier for businesses, producers and ordinary citizens to benefit from closer relations.
Kenya and Ethiopia have pursued cooperation in areas including energy, infrastructure, security and economic development. Their geographical proximity and links to regional transport networks give both countries an interest in improving trade and movement across borders.
However, calls for stronger cooperation will need to translate into practical measures, including easier trade procedures, reliable infrastructure and opportunities for businesses to operate across both markets.
Abiy ended his message by reaffirming Ethiopia’s support for Kenya and urging President William Ruto to continue building the partnership between the two countries.
His appearance at Mashujaa Day brought a regional dimension to Kenya’s annual commemoration, which honours people whose sacrifices and contributions have shaped the country’s freedom, sovereignty and development.
