Kenya, Malaysia reboot ties at bilateral education summit

In a landmark move to boost South–South cooperation, Kenya and the Malaysian government announced on Monday the signing of a bilateral framework agreement to deepen collaboration in joint scientific research, student mobility, capacity building, and innovation.

The announcement was made by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos during the Africa Higher Education Forum 2025 (MAHEF2025–Africa), organised by the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), in partnership with the High Commission of Malaysia in Kenya.

According to CS Migos, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kenya and its Malaysian counterpart had been put to pen to explore collaborations in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), research, innovation, and education, following a successful meeting held between Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Kenyan education stakeholders.

“We have signed an MoU with the Malaysian government on research, student mobility, capacity building, and innovation as we aim to boost mutual collaboration through our respective higher education bodies,” said the CS.

The deal is one of the several trade agreements signed in Nairobi between President William Ruto and Prime Minister Anwar to boost academic research and collaboration between the two parties.

The Malaysian premier’s visit to the State House marked 60 years of Kenya-Malaysia diplomatic relations.

Other areas of collaboration, according to PM Anwar, will include the prospect of the creation of the Institute of African Studies in Malaysia in partnership with Kenya, which he says, will act as a medium of information sharing between the two countries. However, the proposal and its modalities remain sketchy amid ongoing deliberations.

The move is part of the wider plan by the Southeast Asian country to strengthen trade and collaboration ties with Kenya and Africa.

Other economic and diplomatic agreements signed during the visit include a new Bilateral Air Services Agreement, a tourism cooperation MoU, and a city-to-city partnership between Nairobi and Kuala Lumpur.

MAHEF2025–Africa is a Malaysian government–backed initiative that targets international students seeking higher education studies as a push to attract foreign learners to Malaysian universities.

The initiative, being held in Kenya for the first time, is a wider strategy by EMGS and its partners, with a planned rollout across Africa, with seven countries, including Tanzania and Somalia, earmarked for the project.