President Ruto secures 1,000 seafaring jobs for Kenyans in Norway deal

The company officials, who met with President Ruto in Oslo, Norway, promised to hire 120 Kenyans by the end of this year as part of strengthening the relationship between the two nations. The Head of State, who is on a one-week tour of Europe, also held discussions with Norway's Finance Minister, Jens Stoltenberg.

On the second day of his official visit to Europe, Ruto landed in Oslo, Norway, to enhance bilateral relations and seek economic opportunities for Kenya. In his first engagement, the Head of State met with Norwegian Shipowners' Association officials, seeking cooperation in exploring opportunities in Kenya's maritime and blue economy.

It is here that President Ruto managed to secure 1,000 job placements for Kenyan seafarers by 2030, with the first group of 120 Kenyans expected to be employed by the end of this year.

"With the challenge we have with that place called Hormuz, which has become famous all of a sudden, we didn't know about Hormuz until whatever happened in Iran happened. I think it presents us with a new opportunity to look at what Mombasa and your port here can do together," said Ruto.

While acknowledging shipping challenges occasioned by the war in the Middle East, President Ruto urged the shipowners to use the gap to establish new shipping routes to boost trade, strengthen supply chain resilience, and enhance connectivity between the ports of Mombasa, Lamu, and Norwegian ports.

"We have disruptions in the global supply chain and maritime routes. It makes it difficult for us to move goods, it increases the cost of transport, it has occasioned very high fuel prices in our part of the world, but it also provides an opportunity that there could be a possibility of new partnerships. There is limited shipping and transport capacity around our continent," he said.

The Head of State also held a meeting with Norway's Finance Minister, Jens Stoltenberg. Their discussion centred on sharing best practices in sovereign wealth management, as Norway has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund. The two also discussed areas of cooperation, including green energy, climate finance, and carbon markets.

On Monday, President Ruto was in Belgium, where he secured Ksh.15.3 billion in investments under the EU-Kenya Digital Partnership to accelerate digital transformation, expand connectivity, and create opportunities for youth and businesses. The EU also offered Ksh.5.5 billion to support the Blue Raman submarine cable's Africa extension, connecting Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

President Ruto is expected to conclude his tour with a State Visit to Finland, where he will hold bilateral talks with President Alexander Stubb.