Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, and Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, co-chaired the ministerial session of the Joint Cooperation Commission between the two countries in Nairobi on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
During the inaugural session, Nairobi and Rabat signed 11 instruments of cooperation to bolster their bilateral relations in key strategic areas.
At the same time, Morocco received a major boost after Kenya expressed its support for autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty and affirmed its intention to cooperate with like-minded States to promote its implementation.
In the Joint Communiqué inked at the end of this Joint Commission, Kenya “welcomed the growing international consensus and the momentum driven by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of the autonomy plan presented by the Kingdom of Morocco,” describing autonomy as “the only credible and realistic solution to resolve the dispute over the Sahara.”
Describing the autonomy plan presented by Morocco as a “sustainable approach” to resolving the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, Kenya stated its intention to “cooperate with like-minded States to promote its implementation.”
Kenya also welcomed the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2797, which enshrines “the autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable resolution of the dispute.”
In this regard, Kenya stated that it “endorses the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to facilitate and conduct negotiations based on the autonomy plan.”
At the same time, the Kingdom of Morocco “welcomed the support of the Republic of Kenya for the United Nations framework as the exclusive mechanism to achieve a lasting political solution” to the dispute over the Sahara issue.
Also Read: Win for Morocco as Bolivia Suspends Its Recognition of SADR
Morocco further expressed its “appreciation for Kenya’s recognition of the Kingdom’s continued cooperation with the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to advance the political process” on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
Kenya and Morocco’s cooperation agreement
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, and Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, co-chaired the ministerial session of the Joint Cooperation Commission between the two countries.
During the inaugural ministerial session, Nairobi and Rabat signed a cooperation agreement in agriculture, justice, health, fisheries and aquaculture, gender equality and women’s empowerment, cultural cooperation, higher education, scholarships, internships, and the sharing of expertise, sports, immigration, and Wildlife management.
This session follows the meeting of senior officials held in Rabat from October 1 to 3, 2025.
“These instruments now lay the groundwork for practical collaboration. The true measure of our success will lie in the impact these instruments will have on the lives of our citizens and not just in the documents signed,” noted Dr. Mudavadi.
These agreements add to the five memoranda of understanding initiated in May 2025 in the fields of diplomatic training, housing, trade cooperation, youth, and public service capacity building.
In addition, the two officials adopted the approved minutes of the Joint Commission, which constitute a strategic framework for cooperation to guide bilateral relations in priority sectors, as well as an implementation and monitoring mechanism that ensures the coordinated execution of the agreed commitments.
Also Read: Morocco and Niger Strengthen Bilateral Ties as an Inter-African Cooperation Model
In terms of trade and investment, both parties emphasized the need to correct the existing trade imbalance, expand market access for agricultural and value-added products, and encourage cross-investment in renewable energy, agro-industry, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and infrastructure.
“We remain committed to expanding opportunities for Kenyan products and enterprises within the Moroccan market and beyond. Today’s session reaffirmed the need to facilitate mutually beneficial trade within the existing frameworks under the AfCFTA. We discussed the need to promote closer collaboration between our business communities to fully take advantage of emerging opportunities,” said Mudavadi.
They also agreed to accelerate negotiations with a view to concluding agreements in the areas of ports, avoidance of double taxation, energy, air services, mining, and tourism.
Regarding connectivity, the two officials decided to prioritize the resumption of direct flights between Kenya and Morocco to boost trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Thursday’s meeting resolved that the next session of the Joint Commission will be held in the Kingdom of Morocco on dates to be agreed through diplomatic channels.
