NAIROBI, Kenya – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has lauded President William Ruto’s flagship Affordable Housing Programme (AHP), terming it a leading initiative for providing dignified homes to low-income families. The remarks were made on Sunday, 23 November 2025, during a State Banquet at State House, Nairobi, at the start of the premier’s two-day official visit.

The visit, marking Mr. Ibrahim's first to Kenya since taking office in November 2022, is aimed at reinforcing 60 years of diplomatic relations and deepening economic cooperation. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation including the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry.

While the endorsement offers a political boost to one of the Ruto administration's most debated policies, it arrives as the programme navigates significant domestic challenges. The government aims to construct 200,000 housing units annually to tackle a severe national deficit. However, as of mid-2025, approximately 140,000 units were reported to be at various stages of completion, indicating a lag in meeting targets. The programme's funding mechanism, a mandatory 1.5% housing levy, has faced legal challenges and public debate over its implementation and transparency.

Trade Imbalance and New Agreements

Discussions during the visit are expected to address a significant trade imbalance between the two nations. In 2024, bilateral trade stood at RM5.7 billion (approx. KSh178.5 billion), with Kenyan imports from Malaysia—primarily palm oil and petroleum products—reaching RM5.52 billion, while its exports to Malaysia were only RM50 million. According to the UN COMTRADE database, Kenya's imports from Malaysia in 2024 were valued at US$1.01 billion, while its exports were just US$12.68 million.

To foster closer ties, the two leaders are scheduled to witness the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on Monday, 24 November 2025. These agreements cover tourism, air services, and establish collaborations between the Nairobi City County and Kuala Lumpur City Council, as well as their respective national chambers of commerce. The agenda also includes a Malaysia-Kenya High-Level Business Forum, expected to convene around 200 business representatives to explore opportunities in the digital economy, agriculture, and the halal industry.

A Shared Development Vision

At the banquet, President Ruto reiterated his administration's ambition to transform Kenya into a first-world economy, citing Malaysia's development as a key inspiration. “Malaysia's journey continues to inspire us and proves that discipline, focus, and bold leadership can transform a nation,” President Ruto stated.

This sentiment aligns with the President's recently unveiled KSh5 trillion development blueprint, announced during his State of the Nation address on Thursday, 20 November 2025. The plan focuses on four pillars: massive investment in human capital, large-scale irrigation to boost agriculture, expansion of energy production, and a decade-long upgrade of transport and logistics infrastructure. President Ruto has often pointed to the economic paths of Asian Tigers like Malaysia as a model for Kenya's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Malaysia's High Commissioner to Kenya, Ruzaimi Mohamad, had earlier confirmed that his country is prepared to share its expertise and potentially invest in Kenya's housing sector, noting Malaysia's globally recognised success in enabling homeownership through similar public housing programmes.

Regional and Educational Cooperation

The visit also underscores broader cooperation in education and regional diplomacy. Prime Minister Ibrahim is scheduled to officiate the Malaysia-Africa Higher Education Forum 2025 in Nairobi, an event aimed at strengthening collaboration between Malaysian and African higher education institutions. Over 40,000 young Africans have studied in Malaysia since 2012 under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme.

The diplomatic engagement in Nairobi is the final leg of Prime Minister Ibrahim's three-nation Africa tour, which follows his participation in the G20 Summit in South Africa. The tour signals Malaysia's strategic intent to strengthen ties with the African continent, particularly as it prepares to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2025.