President William Ruto has secured employment for 1,000 Kenyan seafarers with a Norwegian ship management company called Wilhelmsen Ship Management. The good news came during his visit to Norway as part of his one-week tour of Europe.
Company officials met with the President in Oslo, the capital of Norway. They promised to hire 120 Kenyans by the end of this year. This move is meant to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
On the second day of his official visit, President Ruto landed in Oslo to improve bilateral relations and look for economic opportunities for Kenya. His first meeting was with the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, where he asked for cooperation in exploring opportunities in Kenya’s maritime and blue economy.
It was during this meeting that the President secured the 1,000 job placements for Kenyan seafarers by the year 2030. The first group of 120 Kenyans is expected to start working before the end of this year.
While speaking to the shipowners, President Ruto mentioned the challenges in the Middle East, especially the situation in Hormuz. He said that the disruptions caused by the war present a new opportunity for Kenya and Norway to work together. He encouraged the shipowners to use this gap to create new shipping routes that would boost trade.
The President also pointed out that the global supply chain and maritime routes have been disrupted. He said this makes it hard to move goods and increases transport costs. It has also caused high fuel prices in Kenya. However, he added that the same problem offers a chance for new partnerships, especially because there is limited shipping and transport capacity around the African continent.
President Ruto also held a meeting with Norway’s Finance Minister, Jens Stoltenberg. They talked about how Kenya can learn from Norway’s experience in managing sovereign wealth. Norway has the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world. The two leaders also discussed working together in areas like green energy, climate finance, and carbon markets.
Before going to Norway, President Ruto was in Belgium on Monday. There, he secured Ksh.15.3 billion in investments under the EU-Kenya Digital Partnership. The money will be used to speed up digital transformation, expand connectivity, and create opportunities for young people and businesses. The European Union also offered Ksh.5.5 billion to support the Blue Raman submarine cable’s Africa extension, which will connect Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania.
President Ruto is expected to end his European tour with a State Visit to Finland, where he will hold talks with President Alexander Stubb.
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