Türkiye’s First Lady Emine Erdogan met Kenya’s First Lady Rachel Ruto at Türkevi in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with the two sides discussing cooperation in health, education, the environment, family and children’s digital safety.

Emine Erdogan said in a social media post that she and Ruto exchanged views on a range of issues, particularly health, the environment, education and family, as well as children’s digital safety.

The meeting also highlighted a proposed Kenya-Türkiye partnership in the health sector, including plans for Uwezo Hospitals, Kenya-Türkiye Centres for Children’s Ability and Women’s Health in six Kenyan counties.

Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale said the proposed centres would be established in Taita Taveta, Isiolo, Homa Bay, Nandi, Nairobi and Uasin Gishu counties.

“The proposed centres of excellence will strengthen specialised paediatric and maternal healthcare in underserved regions,” Duale said in a post on his personal X account.

Under the proposed partnership, Türkiye would support infrastructure development, while Kenya would provide the land and operate the facilities from the day they open, Duale said.

He added that Kenya’s Social Health Authority would cover eligible healthcare for mothers and children at the centres.

Duale said the engagement reaffirmed the deepening Kenya-Türkiye partnership, with health identified alongside education, water and sanitation as priority areas of cooperation.

The meeting was attended by Türkiye’s Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga, Samed Agırbas, president of the Zero Waste Foundation, and Zeliha Saglam, chair of the board of the African Culture House.

Türkiye’s former ambassador to Tanzania and current presidential chief adviser, Dr Mehmet Gulluoglu, was also present.

Long-standing diplomatic ties

The proposed health initiative comes against the backdrop of decades of diplomatic and economic engagement between Türkiye and Kenya.

Türkiye established its embassy in Nairobi in 1968, making it one of the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Kenya following its independence.

The relationship has since developed through high-level political exchanges and growing cooperation in trade, investment, transport, development and security.

Former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi visited Türkiye in 1996, while then-Turkish President Abdullah Gül visited Kenya in 2009.

Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta made his first state visit to Ankara in 2014, during which the two countries advanced cooperation in areas including security, trade and energy.

In 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Kenya accompanied by Emine Erdogan and a large Turkish business delegation, with the visit further strengthening political and commercial ties between Nairobi and Ankara.

Transport links have also expanded alongside the diplomatic relationship. Turkish Airlines operates regular services connecting Istanbul with Nairobi, while direct flights between Istanbul and Mombasa were resumed in 2025, strengthening links between Türkiye and Kenya’s coastal region.

Türkiye’s development cooperation agency, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), has also maintained a presence in Kenya through its Nairobi programme coordination office.

Through TİKA, Türkiye has supported projects and partnerships in areas including healthcare, education, peace and security, agriculture and community development, contributing to broader cooperation between the two countries.

The growing relationship has also provided a platform for collaboration on issues affecting communities directly, including healthcare and education.

The proposed Uwezo Hospitals would build on that cooperation by combining Turkish support for healthcare infrastructure with Kenyan responsibility for land, operations and public health financing.

The initiative, if implemented, would provide a further avenue for the two countries to expand specialised maternal and paediatric healthcare while deepening the broader Kenya-Türkiye partnership.