A new chapter in Morocco-Kenya relations is taking shape. On Monday in Rabat, Nairobi took a significant step towards supporting the solution proposed by Morocco since 2007 to resolve the Western Sahara issue. This Monday in Rabat, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi met with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. Following their discussions, a joint communiqué was issued, the content of which is likely to cause consternation in Algeria and among the Polisario Front. «The Republic of Kenya welcomes the growing international consensus and the momentum driven by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of the autonomy plan proposed by the Kingdom of Morocco, considered as the only credible and realistic solution to resolve the dispute over the Sahara». The communiqué further states that «the Republic of Kenya regards the autonomy plan as the only sustainable approach to resolving the Sahara issue and intends to collaborate with states sharing this vision to promote its implementation». For its part, «the Kingdom of Morocco welcomes Kenya's support for the United Nations framework, recognized as the only mechanism to achieve a lasting political solution to the Sahara dispute». This position deals a clear blow to Algeria and the Polisario, who continue to advocate for an «African settlement plan». Nairobi Distances Itself from the Polisario The two ministers reaffirmed «the exclusive role of the United Nations in the political process» and expressed support for Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2756 (2024), which Algeria opposed. To recall, Algeria boycotted the vote on this resolution on October 31, 2024. «Morocco appreciates Kenya's recognition of its ongoing cooperation with the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to advance the political process based on the relevant Security Council resolutions». Strengthening Bilateral Ties On the bilateral front, the ministers emphasized «the importance of a high-level joint political dialogue to harmonize their positions within regional, continental, and multilateral bodies». The two countries committed to advancing their partnership by «immediately accelerating economic, commercial, and social exchanges in areas such as fisheries, agriculture, food security (including the import of fertilizers), health, tourism, renewable energy, security cooperation, and cultural, religious, and people-to-people exchanges». This is in line with the joint communiqué signed in Nairobi on September 14, 2022, during the meeting between Nasser Bourita and Kenyan President William Ruto. That meeting had notably seen Kenya announce the withdrawal of its recognition of the «SADR»—a decision that was short-lived. In the same spirit of cooperation, Morocco and Kenya announced the opening of a direct air link between Casablanca and Nairobi. «The Kingdom of Morocco has committed to signing a bilateral trade agreement within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to enhance trading opportunities», the communiqué notes. On Monday, Minister Musalia Mudavadi also instructed Kenya's ambassador in Rabat to "work towards reducing the current trade imbalance by increasing Kenyan tea and coffee exports to Morocco." He highlighted that Kenyan imports—mainly fertilizers and other essential goods—amount to 12 billion Kenyan shillings (approximately $93 million), while exports to Morocco remain significantly lower, at just 500 million Kenyan shillings (around $3.8 million).
