The President of the Republic of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto, and his spouse, Rachel Ruto, paid a state visit to Finland on 10–11 June 2026. The President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, together with his spouse, Suzanne Innes‑Stubb, received the Kenyan presidential couple at a welcome ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Wednesday 10 June.
The main themes of the state visit included deepening bilateral relations between Finland and Kenya, strengthening cooperation in international forums, reforming the multilateral system, and promoting trade between the two countries.
“For Finland, Kenya is an important partner bilaterally, regionally and globally. In many ways, our countries are different. Our climate, geographical location, size and history put us in very different categories. But we also share a great deal. We stand before the same challenges. How to educate our youth? How to make use of modern technologies? How to mitigate climate change?,” President Stubb said.
After the ceremony, official discussions were held at the Presidential Palace. In addition to bilateral relations, the topics included multilateral cooperation, the development of the UN system and peace mediation, regional issues in Africa and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and the promotion of trade between Finland and Kenya. At the conclusion of the discussions, the Presidents held a joint press conference.
A shared vision for a stronger United Nations
President Ruto’s programme on Wednesday also included a luncheon hosted by the Mayor of Helsinki, Daniel Sazonov, at City Hall, a wreath-laying ceremony at Hietaniemi Cemetery, and a meeting with the Second Deputy Speaker, Tarja Filatov, at the Parliament of Finland.
In the afternoon, President Stubb and President Ruto took part in the high-level dialogue and panel discussion The Promise of Peace, focusing on the United Nations and peace mediation, held at the Government Banquet Hall.
“President Ruto and I share a vision that the United Nations should be stronger and that its decision-making should reflect present-day realities. It is clear that the African continent must have a stronger voice, starting with two permanent seats on the Security Council,” President Stubb stated.
The day ended with a state banquet hosted by President Stubb and Mrs Innes-Stubb at the Presidential Palace.
A Trade Forum in Espoo and the Kultaranta Talks in Naantali
On Thursday 11 June, the presidents participated in an event at the Nokia Executive Experience Center in Espoo aimed at promoting trade between Finland and Kenya. The event was also attended by representatives of Finnish and Kenyan businesses.
“I am delighted that President Ruto is accompanied by a business delegation focusing on technology, digitalisation and sustainability”, President Stubb noted.
In the afternoon, the programme continued at the Presidential summer residence, Kultaranta, in Naantali. President Ruto took part in a panel discussion at the Kultaranta Talks together with President Stubb. President Ruto is the first African head of state to participate in the annua event.
In addition to the joint programme of the presidential couples, the Presidents’ spouses had also separate engagements. In Helsinki, Mrs Innes-Stubb and Mrs Ruto visited Supercell to discuss opportunities for women in technology companies, the Oodi Central Library, and the New Children’s Hospital.
In Turku, the Presidents’ spouses learned about the activities of Women’s Health Hub Finland, a national innovation network focused on women’s health and well-being, and visited the health technology company Revvity, which specialises in prenatal and newborn screening.
President Stubb made a state visit to Kenya in May 2025. The previous state visit from Kenya to Finland took place in 1987.
