Bilateral Relations

The two countries enjoy a relationship of friendship and cooperation. Greece was the 36 state to recognize Kenya’s sovereignty.

Treaties and Agreements
Currently, there are four major Memorandums of Understanding being negotiated. Specifically, the issues under discussion concern agriculture, double taxation, tourism and cooperation between the Port authority of Piraeus and Mombasa.

Visits
In the framework of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos was in Kenya on Thursday and Friday, 19 and 20 June 2014, to co-chair the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries-European Union Ministerial Meeting, representing EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.

The Greeks and the Greek Orthodox Church in Kenya

The Greek diaspora of Kenya has been historically small, yet there are currently about 100 Greeks or Kenyans of Greek descent living in the country. The community built the first Greek Orthodox Church in Nairobi, on Valley Road. The Holy Cathedral of St Anargyri serves as the epicenter of the Greek and Greek-Cypriot community and is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.  Since then, under the guidance of his Eminence Metropolitan Makarios, the Greek Orthodox congregation, has expanded to include 300 parishes, active missionary work throughout Kenya as well as a Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School in Nairobi.

Trade relations
Commercial relations include exports mainly of fish, fruit, medicine and cosmetics. In 2013, trade between the two states is estimated at 8.3 million euro. Tourism cooperation has been increasing recently also.

On the occasion of Phyllis Jepkosgei Kandie’s visit to Athens (Minister of East African Affairs) the Hellas Kenya Business Forum took place, in November of 2013. The forum focused on tourist sector.

In September of 2013, the first Hellenic MultiSectoral Investment & Trade Mission took place in Nairobi bringing Greek and Kenyan businesses together.  The Greek delegation was headed by Mr. A.  Skordas, Deputy Minister of Development, and consisted of 56 companies from various business sectors.

In 2014, the second Hellenic Multi Sector Investment & Trade Mission to Kenya took place in Nairobi between November 26-27. For further information, you may visit our Embassy News section as well as the following site http://trademission.kenyagreece.com/en2014/

Civil Society and Development
Development assistance of Greece to Kenya for the period 1997-2007 was of the order of USD 2.1 million.

In December of 2008, the President of the Hellenic Republic presented the Kenyan teacher Tobias Nyabola with an honorary award for his substantial contribution of the fight against poverty by using the means available to the local population in the BAMA community of Western Kenya. 

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation as well as Action Aid Hellas have been active in Kenya and Tanzania helping local communities.  In 2010, Action Aid Hellas and, specifically, Yorgos Georgopoulos filmed the documentary Kuluhiro-Ελπίδα which was submitted for viewing to the Film Festivals of Thessaloniki and Ierapetra.