Kenya, through the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has declared its stance on the management of Nile Basin resources amid ongoing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia.
During a meeting with Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates, on an official visit to Kenya, Mudavadi said Kenya and Egypt will encourage their private sectors to leverage synergies, diversify traded products, and expedite the creation of a Kenya–Egypt Joint Business Council.
“In our engagement, we emphasised the need to streamline trade and address various trade facilitation inefficiencies to unlock economic resilience and shared prosperity,” he noted.
Kenya On Regional Water Security and the Nile Basin
The prime cabinet secretary addressed regional water security and the Nile Basin, reiterating Kenya’s stance that no party should be disadvantaged in the utilisation of shared water resources.
“We continue to advocate for African-led, inclusive, and dialogue-based approaches within the Nile Basin Initiative framework,” Mudavadi said.
Additionally, he noted Kenya’s readiness to serve as an impartial facilitator to promote cooperative and sustainable management.
On water infrastructure, Dr. Abdelatty revealed that Egypt has created a fund of approximately USD 100 million to support the construction of small dams in Kenya.
“We hope to use Kenya as a role model in the construction of dams across the country as part of easing the shortage of water for drinking and for irrigation as well,” he stated.
Kenya welcomed Egypt’s pledge of USD 7 million for high-impact development projects, along with targeted capacity-building support in diplomacy, security, agriculture, and religious leadership.
Ruto’s Call for Dialogue as He Witnessed Inauguration of Ethiopia’s GERD
On September 9, 2025, President William Ruto joined regional leaders to witness the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Ethiopia.
He congratulated Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Ethiopian people, terming the project a significant achievement for the continent.
Ruto said Kenya reaffirmed its support for the equitable use of shared waters and urged Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan to continue trilateral talks in good faith, stressing that dialogue and compromise remained the surest path to a fair agreement that would safeguard prosperity and stability for all Nile Basin countries.
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Describing GERD as a demonstration of African self-reliance, Ruto said the project reflected the continent’s ability to mobilise its own resources.
“Funded entirely by the Ethiopian people, it is more than an infrastructure project; it is Africa’s largest hydropower facility, with an estimated capacity of 6,450 megawatts, and a continental symbol of self-reliance and progress,” he said.
He noted that the dam presented economic opportunities for Kenya and expressed readiness to sign a power purchase agreement with Ethiopia to off-take surplus electricity. The additional power, he said, would support Kenya’s industries, ICT hubs, manufacturing, and agro-processing sectors while promoting competitiveness and job creation.
Ruto added that no nation should be denied the opportunity to build transformative assets, observing that over time, such projects become shared sources of prosperity. He acknowledged differing perspectives among Nile Basin countries and stressed the importance of sustained dialogue to address concerns surrounding the dam.
Egypt – Ethiopia Nile Water Dispute
The dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Nile centres on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a massive hydropower project on the Blue Nile, completed and inaugurated in September 2025. Ethiopia considers the dam essential for meeting its growing energy needs.
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Egypt relies on the Nile for over 90% of its freshwater and fears that GERD’s 74-billion-cubic-meter reservoir could reduce flows during droughts. Cairo cites colonial-era treaties granting it veto power over upstream projects, while Ethiopia rejects these agreements as outdated. Addis Ababa maintains that the dam causes no harm and provides regional benefits through power exports, accusing Egypt of blocking equitable water sharing.
Heavy rains in October 2025 triggered floods, reigniting tensions. Egypt blamed Ethiopia’s “unilateral” water releases for flooding in Sudan and in Egypt’s agricultural lands, while Ethiopia argued that the GERD mitigated even worse damage from the rains.
In December 2025, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt emphasised the need for a binding agreement and prioritised dialogue. By early 2026, negotiations remained deadlocked, with U.S. President Donald Trump offering to mediate in January.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, who attended the dam’s inauguration, proposed mediation efforts and suggested power purchases to encourage regional cooperation. Although no military action is imminent, the unresolved dispute raises the risk of escalation amid growing climate pressures and water scarcity in the region.
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