EU - Kenya: 50 years of diplomatic relations

The Government of Kenya and the EU have enjoyed a long-standing partnership, now celebrating decades of diplomatic relations.

The first formal link between the EU and Kenya was forged back in 1968 at Arusha when the East African Community signed the Arusha Convention establishing trade relations between the then three EAC partner states (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) and the then European Community.

Since the EU opened its doors in Nairobi in 1976, our partnership has grown from cooperation focused on development into a partnership of equals, grounded in shared values, mutual interests and joint responsibility in addressing regional and global challenges.

At the start of the EU-Kenya Partnership, the main emphasis was on providing technical and financial aid to rural development and food production, development of hydro-electric power, development of feeder roads as well as training and development of technical education facilities. 

Today, thanks to the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement signed in December 2023, trade has become the central pillar of EU-Kenya relations, providing duty free, quota free access into the EU market for goods originating from Kenya.

As we mark this 50 years of European Union - Kenya diplomatic relations, we will share examples of what our partnership actually means, and celebrate what we have achieved together up to now. 

During this jubilee year, we are especially highlighting the people dimension of our partnership in: education, science, and culture. 

The EU and Kenya go into the future as partners: ready to meet the challenges of a volatile world, committed to shared values, and connected by the many thousands of citizens whose lives have been impacted by this relationship.

The Erasmus+ programme strengthens relations between Kenya and the European Union by bringing together Kenyan and European people. 

Erasmus+ is one of the European Union's flagship programmes. It has become very popular among European students, and the rest of the world, including Kenya. 

Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.

Erasmus + has given students the chance not only to study in a different university but also to experience life in a different country. This is an incredibly valuable experience for young people, helping them not only in their education but also future in their professional careers. 

Since Erasmus+ extends beyond Europe, it's given numerous Kenyan students the opportunity to complete their masters' degrees and PhDs at universities around Europe. 

At the start of 2026, two-thirds of the way through the programme, Kenya has been as one of the biggest African players, with 2,500 Kenyans coming to Europe for short-term mobility, and 89 cooperation projects involving Kenya in the areas of higher education (32), vocational education and training (27) youth (8) and virtual exchange (22). 

Inspiring young people to reach their full potential is one of the key pillars of Erasmus +. Young people are fundamental to our societies, both here in Kenya and in Europe, and they drive our economies. That's  why investing in youth is so important. 

Watch this space as we share stories of Faces of Study in Europe. 

Science and technology are one of the key components of the Africa-EU partnership. The aim is to better contribute to sustainable development as well as boosting employment, competitiveness and growth. With Kenya widely known as a regional tech and innovation hub, the EU Delegation to Kenya is already engaged  with our Kenyan partners in making this a reality. 

The Horizon Europe programme connects Kenyan researchers to the EU's flagship research and innovation programme, the largest public research fund in the world.

For example, the EU invested €14.7 million (Ksh 2.2 billion) in the African Reference Laboratory for Bee Health at ICIPE in Nairobi— a wonderful example for Kenyan-led research addressing food security challenges across the continent.

Now, the Horizon Europe - Africa Initiative IV is unlocking new opportunities in EU-funded research and collaboration for Kenyan researchers.

EURAXESS Africa is an initiative of the European Commission established with the aim to provide free access to information about research in Europe, opportunities for research funding, international collaboration and trans-national mobility. It links researchers in Africa to Europe. 

The European Film Festival, which started in a modest way with a handful of films from six countries  in 1992, has grown into a showcase of European culture. 

The festival has evolved into a Kenya - European festival, featuring European and Kenyan films, masterclasses, community screenings and more.

The EU, for example supported the first Kenyan feature film ever selected for the Cannes Film Festival, rafiki.

Other long term investments include: Rehabilitation and expansion of the National Museum of Kenya (2005–2008), preserving Kenya's cultural heritage.

At the heart of our relationship are people-to-people ties: over 41,000 Kenyans live in the EU and over 26,000 Europeans live in Kenya