President William Ruto on Wednesday, January 29, praised his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, for his leadership in fostering security and stability in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ruto lauded Sisi’s efforts to promote peace and security in the region, in addition to working to secure a ceasefire and ease access to humanitarian supplies in Gaza.
His praise comes at a time when US President Donald Trump suggested that the war-torn territory’s inhabitants could be moved to Egypt and Jordan. The newly inaugurated President Trump made the remarks this week as a fragile ceasefire holds after 15 months of war in Gaza.
“You’re talking about probably a million and a half people,” Trump told reporters. “We just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over.’”
President William Ruto and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, addressing a press conference in Cairo on Wednesday, January 29.
PCS
However, while speaking during a joint press conference in Cairo with President Ruto, Sisi insisted that Egypt could not take part in the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
“Displacing and deporting the Palestinian people from their place is an injustice in which we cannot participate,” Sisi told the press.
Sisi added, “Any such move would undermine national security both in Egypt and across the broader Arab world.”
Trump’s suggestion to relocate over a million individuals from Gaza has sparked widespread backlash across the Middle East.
Both Egypt and Jordan were swift to dismiss the proposal, while media outlets in key US allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also decried his remarks.
“The Egyptian people—if I asked them about this matter—will all go out in the street and say, ‘No—do not participate in injustice,’” El-Sisi said.
While speaking afterwards, Ruto acknowledged El-Sisi’s role in securing a ceasefire and facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“Kenya fully supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and remains committed to UN Security Council Resolution 2728 (2024), which calls for an immediate ceasefire,” said Ruto.
Ruto and Sisi signed 12 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral relations between Kenya and Egypt. These agreements aim to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including trade, investment, education, research, and technological exchange.
Kenya and Egypt have maintained a strong and cordial relationship for the past 60 years, leading to trade ties that have cemented their partnership.
In 2024, the trade exchange between Egypt and Kenya reached $567 million (about Ksh73.09 billion in the current exchange rates), compared to $638 million (about Ksh82.25 in the current exchange rates) in 2023.
Egypt President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, addressing a press conference in Cairo on Wednesday, January 29.
PCS