Ruto praises Kenya-Ghana ties, bids High Commissioner farewell
By Nancy Marende, August 26, 2025President William Ruto has reaffirmed that relations between Kenya and Ghana remain strong, cordial, and dynamic, with a history that stretches back to the pre-independence era and the enduring partnership between the founding fathers of the two nations.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, President Ruto praised the deep ties between the two countries, describing them as a model of African solidarity and cooperation.
He spoke while bidding farewell to Ghana’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Damptey Bediako Asare, who has completed his tour of duty.
Further, he highlighted the growing people-to-people connections, noting that the two nations have witnessed five state visits on both sides, as well as expanding air links through Kenya Airways.
“Our cooperation in trade and investment, tourism, education, and science and technology, among others, is underwritten by various memoranda of understanding,” he stated.
Kenya Airways
His remarks come a few months after Kenya formally asked the Ghanaian government to allow the national carrier, Kenya Airways, to establish a secondary hub in Accra in a bid to strengthen air links across West Africa and to international destinations.
Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir made the request during an official visit to Accra on May 7, 2025, where he delivered a goodwill message from President William Ruto to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama.
Chirchir said the proposed hub aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) goals of boosting intra-African trade and regional integration. The AfCFTA secretariat is headquartered in Accra.
“In the spirit of enhancing people-to-people contacts and advancing commercial linkages to strengthen intra-African trade as envisioned under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) headquartered in Accra, I requested H.E. JD Mahama for Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, to establish a secondary hub in Accra, Ghana, to enhance connectivity to West Africa and the rest of the world,” Chirchir disclosed on social media.
“Kenya Airways flies to Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, and Cameroon. The strategic hub would enhance Accra as a hub, foster connectivity between West Africa and global markets, and grow trade, tourism, investment, and economic prosperity in Ghana and the Western Region,” he said.