High Commission of India

Nairobi

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India-Kenya Bilateral Relations

• India and Kenya share close and friendly relations. The contemporary ties between India and Kenya have evolved into a robust and multi-faceted partnership marked by regular high-level visits and extensive people to people contacts.

• The presence of Indians in East Africa is documented in the 'Periplus of the Erythraean Sea' or Guidebook of the Red Sea by an ancient Greek author written in 60 AD. A well-established trade network existed between India and the Swahili Coast predating European exploration. Large-scale migration took place during British colonial rule when thousands of Indians were brought to build the Uganda Railway between 1896 and 1901. India and Kenya share a common legacy of struggle against colonialism with many Indian-origin Kenyans participating and supporting the freedom struggle of Kenya.

• India established the office of Commissioner for British East Africa resident in Nairobi in 1948. Apa Saheb Pant was the first Commissioner. Following Kenyan independence in December 1963, a High Commission was established in Nairobi in the same year. India has had an Assistant High Commission in Mombasa.

High-Level Visits:

• There have been regular high-level visits from India to Kenya. These included visits of Vice President Dr. S Radhakrishnan in July 1956; Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi in 1963, 1970 and 1981; Prime Minister Shri Morarji Desai in 1978; President Shri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy in 1981 and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2016.

• From the Kenyan side, President Daniel arap Moi visited India in 1981 and 1983; President Uhuru Kenyatta visited India in 2017 and President William S. Ruto paid a visit to India in 2023.

• Visit of PM Narendra Modi: PM Shri Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Kenya on 10-11 July 2016. He held bilateral talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. Seven (MoUs)/Agreements in the fields of defence, trade and developmental assistance were signed. PM and President Kenyatta addressed an India-Kenya Business Forum, during which 5 business to business MoUs were signed. Both leaders visited the ‘India Innovation Pavilion’ and released a booklet on ‘Doing Business in Kenya’. PM addressed a gathering of over 20,000 Indian community members in Nairobi, which was also attended by President Kenyatta. PM delivered a special address to a large gathering of students at the University of Nairobi and visited United Nations Office at Nairobi. India announced gifting of a state-of-the-art made in India cancer therapy machine – Bhabhatron II – to Kenyatta National Hospital, grant of US$ 1 million for the refurbishment of the Mahatma Gandhi graduate library of the University of Nairobi, 30 field ambulances for the use of the Kenya Defence Forces and holding of the first ever Festival of India in Kenya.

• Visit of President William S. Ruto: President William Ruto paid a State Visit to India from 4-6 December 2023. He met with President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu, who also hosted a State Banquet in his honour. He held delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Five MoUs/agreements were signed in the areas of Sports, Digital Solutions, Culture, Standards, and Education. President Ruto attended the India-Kenya Trade and Investment Forum and also met select business leaders of Indian companies. Announcements made and documents issued during the visit included - India-Kenya Joint Statement, Joint Maritime Vision Statement titled BAHARI; Kenya’s decision to join ISA and the GBA; a LoC of US $ 250 million for Agriculture modernization; Customized training program for 20 Space Scientists in ISRO; a geo-spatial information portal for Kenya with Indian remote sensing data and; increase in ICCR scholarships from 48 to 80 per year.

Recent Ministerial-level Visits from India:

• Minister of State (MoS) for Environment, Forest & Climate Change and MoS for External Affairs Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh visited Kenya from 09-13 December, 2025 to attend the meeting of UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7).

• Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth visited Kenya from June 22-24, 2025 during which an India-Africa Commemorative Pillar at Taita Taveta was unveiled to honor the fallen Indian and African soldiers during the First World War.

• Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri V. Muraleedharan paid an official visit to Kenya from 22-23 November, 2023.

• Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla, accompanied by a parliamentary delegation, paid an official visit to Kenya on 16-18 January 2023.

• Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav visited Nairobi from 3-4 March 2022, to represent India at the special session of United Nationals Environment Assembly - UNEP@50 (50^th anniversary of UNEP) at United Nation office in Nairobi

• Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan visited Kenya on 13 September 2022 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President elect Dr. William Samoei Ruto as the 5^th President of the Republic of Kenya.

 

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar (EAM) paid an official visit to Nairobi from 12-15 June 2021 for co-chairing the 3rd India-Kenya Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with his counterpart Amb. Raychelle Omamo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kenya.

Recent Ministerial-levl Visits from Kenya:

• Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Dr Musalia Mudavadi visited India for participation in the 11th Edition of the Raisina Dialogue in March 2026.

• A large Kenyan delegation led by Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy visited India for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026. The Implementation Framework Agreement for a DigiLocker pilot project in Kenya was signed on the sidelines of AI Summit.

• Rt. Hon. Dr. Moses Masika Wetang’ula, Speaker of the Kenya National Assembly, visited India for 28^th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), hosted by Parliament of India from 14-16 January 2026. Rt. Hon. Amason Jeffah Kingi, Speaker of the Senate of Kenya was also part of Kenyan delegation.

• Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Health Dr Aden Duale visited India to participate in 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine scheduled from 17-19 December 2025 in New Delhi.

• Chief Justice of Kenya, Martha Koome visited India to attend swearing in ceremony of Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, from 21-27 November 2025. She had earlier visited India under the Distinguished Visitors' Programme of ICCR in March 2023.

• A Kenyan delegation led by, Secretary to the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya Mercy Wanjau, visited India from 18-21 November 2025, for a high-level benchmarking exercise on AADHAAR and Digital Governance solutions of India.

• Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo Gitau visited India in May 2025 to attend the Waves 2025.

• Attorney General of Kenya Dorcas Agik Abuya Oduor, along with 29 senior officials representing key ministries, visited India to attend the Special Capacity Building Programme on Leadership & National Transformation for Kenyan Senior Civil Servants, organized by the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) from 13–18 January 2025.

• President William Ruto participated in the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit on 17 November 2023. Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr. Alfred Mutua participated in the Foreign Ministers’ session of “Voice of the South Summit” virtual meeting in January 2023. Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Dr. Musalia Mudavadi participated in the 3^rd Voice of Global South Summit on 17 August 2024.

• Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Aden Duale, visited India from 28-31 August 2023. An MoU was signed between Goa Shipyards Ltd & Kenya Shipyards Limited (KSL) for ship-building cooperation during the visit.

• Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Roselinda Soipan Tuya, visited India from 21-23 July 2023 for the Global Biofuel Alliance event on the margins of the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transition in Goa.

• Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication & Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo, led a team to India for the Global DPI Summit on the sidelines of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group in June 2023.

• Cabinet Secretary for Energy & Petroleum, Davis Chirchir visited India to attend ‘India Energy Week’ from 6-8 February 2023.

Bilateral Institutional Mechanisms:

• JCM: Bilateral Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) at Ministerial level was set up in 1999. The first JCM took place in 2003 in Nairobi. Second JCM was held in March, 2019 in New Delhi and the third JCM was held in Nairobi in June 2021.

• JTC: The India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was set up in 1983. The 10^th session of JTC was held at Commerce Secretary level in Nairobi in April 2026.

• FOC: An MoU on Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) was signed in 2003. The first bilateral FOC was held in Nairobi in June 2016, the second round in New Delhi in 2022 and the third round was held at Joint Secretary-level on 3 February 2026 in Nairobi.

• JDCC: First meeting of the Joint Defence Coordination Committee (JDCC) at Joint Secretary level was held in February 2019 in India, the second one was held in November 2022 in Nairobi followed by a DefExpo and Seminar; and the third meeting was held in September 2024 in New Delhi. The 4^th meeting of the JDCC was held from 24-26 February 2026 in Nairobi.

• JWG on Agriculture: The 1st Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture was held between India and Kenya on 24 February 2026 in virtual mode.

Bilateral Trade and Investments:

• India is Kenya’s 3^rd largest trading partner with bilateral trade of USD 4.31 bn for FY 2025-26. Indian exports to Kenya amounted to US$ 4.01 billion while that of imports from Kenya to India was US$ 290 million.

• Main Indian exports to Kenya included petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, machinery, cereals, sugars & confectionery, plastics & articles, vehicles, electrical machinery & equipment, organic chemicals and paper & paperboard. Main Kenyan exports to India were tea, coffee, soda ash, edible vegetables, copper and articles, fertilisers, metal scrap, miscellaneous chemical products, lead and articles and zinc and articles.

• The following table summarizes the bilateral trade figures.

Year	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
EXPORT	3.274	3.175	3.134	4.01
IMPORT	0.117	0.176	0.318	0.29
TOTAL TRADE	3.39	3.351	3.452	4.31

(Source: Department of Commerce, India, Figures in USD million)

• An India-Kenya Trade Agreement was signed in 1981, under which both countries accorded Most Favoured Nation status to each other. A bilateral Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) was signed in 1989. Revised DTAA was signed in July 2016 and came into force on 30 August 2017.

 

• The India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was set up at Ministerial level in 1983 as a follow-up to the Agreement. The JTC has met ten times since, the last session was held on 27 April 2026 in Nairobi at the level of Commerce Secretary of India and Principal Secretary, Trade of Kenya. An MoU on pre-arrival information of goods was signed by Central Board of Customs and Indirect Taxes of India and the Kenya Revenue Authority on 27 April 2026 on the sidelines of the 10^th JTC.

 

• An India-Kenya business Forum was held on the sidelines of the 10^th JTC meeting on 28 April 2026. An MoU between Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI) was signed during the Business Forum.

 

• A Joint Business Council (JBC) was set up in 1985 by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI). FICCI and KNCCI signed a fresh MoU in January 2017 on the sidelines of the Business Forum during the State visit of President Uhuru Kenyatta. Revived JBC met in New Delhi in January 2017 and in August 2018.

 

• An India Kenya Chamber of Commerce (IKCC) was launched on 22 November 2023 in Nairobi during the India-Kenya Business Forum that was graced by Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs of India Shri V Muraleedharan and Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade & Industry, Government of Kenya.

 

• Government of India consented to Kenya’s request for market access for its avocados. In a ceremonial flag-off, the first cargo of Kenyan avocados to India was dispatched from Nairobi as diplomatic cargo to the High Commission of Kenya in New Delhi on 16 September 2023.

 

• According to the Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest), India is the second largest investor in Kenya. Over 60 major Indian companies have invested in various sectors including manufacturing, real estate, pharmaceuticals, telecom, IT & ITES, banking and agro-based industries. Indian investments have resulted in creation of thousands of direct jobs to Kenyans. Indian pharmaceutical companies have a substantial presence in Kenya.

 

• EXIM Bank of India re-located its regional office in East Africa to Nairobi on 30 May, 2024.

 

Cooperation in Health:

• Many Kenyans travel to India for medical treatment every year. Over 10,000 Kenyan national travelled to India in 2025 for medical treatment.

• India commissioned an Advanced Telecobalt Cancer Therapy Machine – Bhabhatron II & Digital Radiotherapy Simulator – Imagin, at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi in August 2017. In May 2020, High Commissioner handed over the second tranche of essential medicines worth USD 1.54 million to Government of Kenya. The first tranche was handed over in July 2018. In August 2020, a gift of consignment of medicines related to COVID19 was handed over by Acting High Commissioner.

• Under Vaccine Maitri, Kenya was given 1.12 million doses of Covishield in March 2021 (1.02 million under COVAX alliance and 100,000 as gift).

• CT scan infrastructure and Machine was commissioned through Indian grant assistance in 2024 at Kenyan Navy Hospital, Mtongwe.

• An Implementing Arrangement under a Quick Impact Project (QIP) for gifting of a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine to the Kenya Defence Forces was signed by High Commissioner and Principal Secretary for Defence on 7 April 2026.

Development Cooperation :

• India has been offering development assistance to Kenya in the form of concessional loans and grants.

• A Line of Credit (LOC) of US$ 61.60 million was extended in 2010 for power transmission and substation projects for connecting a number of counties.

• A Line of Credit of US$ 29.95 million for upgradation of Rift Valley Textiles Factory (RIVATEX East Africa Limited) was signed in July 2016. The upgraded facility was inaugurated by President Uhuru Kenyatta on 21 June, 2019.

• A loan agreement to extend US$ 15 million to IDB Capital Limited (now renamed as Kenya Development Corporation – KDC) for development of SMEs was signed in July 2016 and has been under implementation.

• A Line of Credit of USD 250 million Line of Credit (LoC) to Government of Kenya (GoK) for agricultural mechanization projects was announced during the visit of Kenyan President to India in 2023.

• Government of India gave grant assistance of USD 1 million for renovation of the Mahatma Gandhi Graduate Library at the University of Nairobi. The refurbished library was inaugurated in June 2021.

• A water hyacinth harvesting machine gifted to Kisumu country was jointly inaugurated by the High Commissioner and Governor of Kisumu County in November 2022.

• India gifted 15 parachutes to Ministry of Defence of Kenya in August 2023.

• India handed over food, relief & medicine supplies for flood victims to the Government of Kenya on 10 May 2024 brought by Indian naval ship INS Sumedha. A 2nd tranche of 40MT of humanitarian assistance including medicines, medical supplies and other equipments were brought by IAF aircraft and handed over to the Kenyan Government on 14 May 2024. The consignment included 22 tons of HADR items such as tents, sleeping bags/mats, blankets, power generation sets, ready to eat meals, basic sanitary utilities and hygiene kits, and 18 tons of medical aid, comprising essential life-saving drugs and surgical equipment for critical care and wound management etc.

• 100 INSAS rifles & 50,000 rounds of ammunition were gifted to Kenyan side by visiting Commanding in Chief of Western Naval Command of Indian Navy to Commander Kenya Navy in April 2026.

Capacity-Building:

• Kenya is offered 240 civilian slots for training in various fields under the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme and 80 ICCR scholarships, annually. Apart from this, many Kenyan students go to India under the Study in India programme and on self-financing basis.

Multilateral Cooperation:

 

• India and Kenya cooperate closely in regional and multi-lateral fora. India and Kenya are also founding members of IORA.

Culture: 

• A bilateral Cultural Cooperation Agreement was signed in 1981. Mission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of India and the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts of Kenya organized the first-ever Festival of India in Kenya named “Urafiki Utsav” from 10 October to 28 November 2016. Six cultural troupes from different parts of India performed in five cities of Kenya. A Rajasthani Folk Dance troupe visited Kenya under the auspices of ICCR and performed in Nairobi and Mombasa in October, 2025

• An Kenya-India Friendship Association (KIFA) was set up in 1981. ‘Bharatwallah Alumni Association’ (an alumni association of Kenyan students who had studied in India over 4-5 decades) was formally launched in May 2016.

• An MoU on establishment of an ICCR Chair on Indian studies between ICCR and University of Nairobi was signed in March 2015. Dr. Seepana Prakasam served as the first ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at the University of Nairobi from Sept 2016-July 2017.

• Kenyan cultural troupes involving artisans, musicians and performers have been regularly participating in the Surajkund International Crafts Mela at Faridabad in January every year.

• A South Indian Cultural Festival was organized in May, 2019 in which Cabinet Secretaries of Ministry of Sports & Culture and of Ministry of Defence, Governors of Machakos and Laikipia Counties, Principal secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs graced the occasion with participation of more than 300 guests from Indian diaspora, Diplomatic corps, prominent Kenyans and media.

• India is the fifth largest source of inbound tourists for Kenya. According to Kenya Tourism Board, out of 2.7 million foreign tourist arrivals to Kenya in 2025, over 1.3 lakh tourists came from India.

• Late Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate and environmentalist Prof. Wangari Maathai was conferred the 2005 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding as well as the 2006 Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development. Prof. Rachel Gesami of Kenya joined as Nelson Mandela Chair at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi in February 2018

Indian Community and Diaspora in Kenya:

• Indians were trading with the Swahili coast since early historical times as evidenced by ancient works. With the region coming under Omani rule particularly Mogadishu, Mombasa and Zanzibar, Indian presence remained part of Swahili kaleidoscope. With the advent of Portuguese and finally British, Indian involvement became deeper. A large number of Indians came since 1895 to build the British railway line from Mombasa to Uganda.

• Kenyans of Indian origin were active participants in Kenya’s pre-independence period included the labour leader Makhan Singh, M. A. Desai and Pio Gama Pinto. Indian MP Diwan Chaman Lall joined Jomo Kenyatta’s defence team which included two other persons of Indian origin, F R S DeSouza (later Kenya’s Deputy Speaker) and A R Kapila, at his 1953 trial.

• A vibrant community of persons of Indian origin presently numbered around 80,000 including an estimated 20,000 Indian citizens. Several Kenyans of Indian origin have distinguished themselves as Businessmen, lawyers, judges, doctors and academics. There are many socio-cultural associations of Indian Diaspora representing almost all major states of India. Hindu Council of Kenya remains the umbrella organization having its branches and members spread over all major towns of Kenya. Indian diaspora organizations manage several schools, places of worships etc. in Kenya and contribute substantially in philanthropic and humanitarian work.

• Indian diaspora in Kenya is mainly having origins from Gujarat and Punjab who came at the time of laying of railway track from Mombasa to Kisumu. However, people from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu came later and settled in Kenya.

• Two Indian-origin persons have been Chief Justices of Kenya - Justice Chunilal Bhagwandas Madan (1985–1986) and Justice Abdul Majid Cockar (1994–1997). 

• Five persons of Indian origin from Kenya have been awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman: Shri Manilal Premchand Chandaria, Late Shri Pheroze Nowrojee, Shri P.V. Sambasiva Rao, Dr. Prakash M. Heda, and Late Dr. FRS De Souza (now deceased).

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May, 2026