President William Ruto on Monday, May 12 commended Finland for being the happiest country in the world.
Speaking during a banquet at State House, Nairobi, in honor of President Alexander Stubb, Ruto further hailed the cordial relationship between the two countries.
“Your excellency, we in Kenya deeply admire Finland’s commitment to the welfare of its people, a commitment that has earned your country recognition as the happiest nation on earth,” he said
He added that Finland motivates Kenya to always build a nation grounded in dignity, compassion and protection of the vulnerable, the shared values including respect for United Nation Charter, the peaceful resolution of dispute and solidarity in facing global challenges such as climate change while providing a strong foundation for the friendship between two nations.
On his part, President Stubb who was in Nairobi on an official state visit, took time to explain why his country and his people are happy.
Stubb emphasized stated that many journalists had asked him why Finland is the happiest country in the world.
He said that Kenya and Finland has a lot of history similarities, and any country can make things work only if the country believes in itself.
“I think it’s an element of national pride of believing that your nation can do things,” he said.
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President Stubb further reiterated why he visited Kenya, noting that that he believes that Kenya will be a game changer in a new world order.
Why Finland is the happiest country
Finland has always been considered the happiest country in the world according to the World Happiness Report.
This is because of several factors, including High Quality of Life, Strong Social Support, work-life balance, freedom, and autonomy, among other factors.
Finnish happiness is explained by the high levels of trust and freedom in its society.
In addition, Finns enjoy a high standard of living, with decent incomes and low corruption.
Their connection to nature, facilitated by vast forests and lakes, boosts mental health, as does the cultural emphasis on outdoor activities like saunas and hiking.
Work-life balance is prioritized, with shorter working hours and ample vacation time.
Also, community cohesion and mutual support play a role, despite Finland’s reserved nature.
Harsh winters foster resilience, and cultural values like sisu (grit) help people cope with challenge.
Kenya and Finland ties
The two leaders held bilateral talks on enhancing collaboration in education, health, renewable energy, trade and investment, peace and security, multilateral engagement, and climate action.
President Ruto said Kenya is keen on leveraging Finland’s global leadership in education and expressed Kenya’s intention to deepen cooperation in support of the Competency-Based Education.
“A cooperation framework will soon be concluded, focusing on basic, technical, vocational, and higher education to equip our youth with the skills needed in a digital economy,” he said.
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On health, the President pointed out that Kenya intends to draw lessons from Finland’s exemplary universal healthcare system in strengthening Taifa Care, the country’s universal health coverage program.
“We agreed to share experiences and explore joint efforts to address health challenges and improve service delivery,” he said.
President Ruto also pointed out the need to expand trade and investment between the two countries.
He reaffirmed the joint commitment to the implementation of the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in July 2024.
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