Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa signs the visitors' book on arrival in Nairobi on Thursday for talks with President William Ruto, July 31, 2025. /OPCS
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa arrived in Nairobi on Thursday for talks with President William Ruto as part of a regional push to stabilise eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a brief statement, President Mnangagwa said his visit is centred on formalising the appointment of five facilitators to support ongoing peace efforts in the troubled region.
“I have arrived in Kenya for a meeting with H.E. President William Ruto. As SADC Chair, I am here to formalise the appointment of five facilitators to support regional efforts toward peace and stability in eastern DRC,” he said.
“We remain committed to African-led solutions that deliver lasting security and development,” he added.
President Ruto is the current chairperson of the East African Community (EAC), a role that places Kenya at the centre of regional peace and integration efforts.
The security situation in the DRC remains precarious despite a June 27 US-brokered peace agreement with Rwanda, which calls for Kigali to withdraw troops and the neutralisation of armed groups, including M23.
Fighting in eastern DRC surged in 2025, with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group capturing major cities like Goma and Bukavu, displacing over 700,000 people and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Mnangagwa’s visit comes just a day after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni also held talks with Ruto in Nairobi.
During Museveni’s visit, Kenya and Uganda signed eight new bilateral agreements to deepen cooperation in key areas, including trade, infrastructure, and security.
President Ruto noted that the agreements build on 17 existing ones and will “strengthen ties between the two countries and drive economic development.”
“The agreements will foster people-to-people ties and ensure that the relationship between the two countries provides real benefits for both nations,” Ruto said after witnessing the signing of the memoranda of understanding at State House, Nairobi.
The back-to-back visits by Mnangagwa and Museveni underscore Nairobi’s increasing significance as a hub for regional diplomacy and economic center stage for East and Africa.
Mnangagwa was received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora CS Musalia Mudavadi, Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Kenya Winpeg Moyo.
"Our goal is to harmonise efforts and strengthen coordination between the Nairobi and Luanda processes to secure lasting peace and stability in eastern DRC," Mudavadi said.
He said a strategic briefing session with the Panel of Facilitators is also part of the programme as testament to the continent’s resolve to address its challenges through unity, dialogue, and homegrown solutions.
"This convening underscores the urgency with which African leaders are responding to the DRC situation, and reaffirms our collective belief in the principle of “African solutions to African problems,” the Prime CS concluded.
Mnangagwa was accompanied with Kenya’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Dr Gertrude Angote.
