Kenya on Monday strongly condemned strikes on several Gulf states as the Middle East conflict spreads, warning that the crisis risks undermining international peace and security.
- •In a statement, President William Ruto said Nairobi denounced attacks on the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, describing the regionalisation of the conflict as a “grave threat” at a perilous moment in global history.
- •Ruto called for urgent multi-stakeholder engagement to de-escalate tensions and urged reliance on longstanding multilateral institutions to resolve the crisis.
- •Kenya has in recent years sought to balance its diplomatic and commercial ties across the Middle East, including deepening relations with Iran.
"It is evident that the regionalisation of this conflict poses a grave threat to international peace and security. At this defining and perilous moment in global history, longstanding multilateral institutions remain indispensable frameworks for the resolution of the current crisis in the Middle East," Ruto said in a post on X on Monday morning.
The most recent escalation, which begun when the United States and Israel carried out new attacks on top Iranian figures, killing Ayatollah Khamenei, former firebrand president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and senior military leaders in weekend strikes. Tehran has responded by striking a wide swathe of US interests and bases across the Middle East and the Gulf.
The barrage of missiles and drone attacks has raised new tensions in the volatile region as it draws in countries that had largely survived by striking a delicate balance in the long-running tensions between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran.
In addition to tens of thousands of its citizens working across the Gulf, Kenya has commercial and economic ties with many players in the ongoing conflict.
Kenya's Shaky Balancing Act
In mid-January 2025, Kenya's president and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presided over the signing of the CEPA, the first such agreement the UAE has concluded with a mainland African nation. The UAE is one of the largest sources of Kenya's imports, and ranks among the top 10 destinations for Kenyan exports. It is among the top destinations for Kenya's tea, after Sudan halted all imports from Kenya as a protest to Nairobi's overt and covert support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
During a bilateral meeting in Nairobi in July 2023 with then Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Ruto described Iran as a strategic partner and highlighted expanding trade links, particularly in tea exports. Kenya exported tea worth $28.4 million to Tehran in the first quarter of that year, an eight-fold increase from the same period a year earlier, according to figures cited at the time.
The two countries signed five memoranda of understanding covering information and communications technology, fisheries, animal health, livestock production and investment promotion, as part of efforts to boost trade and investment cooperation.
Kenya has also encouraged Iranian investment in sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, blue economy initiatives and automotive assembly, underscoring Nairobi’s broader push to diversify economic partnerships beyond traditional Western and regional allies.
Read more analysis on how Middle East conflicts affect Kenya and East Africa:
Why Kenya is Not Safe From the Middle East Conflicts
Panic Grips Kenyans in Lebanon as Middle East Conflict Escalates
Iran-Israel Conflict's Escalation Increases Risk of War, Business Disruptions
