Lesotho's King Letsie III has arrived in Nairobi for a three-day official visit to Kenya.
The visit, which began on Sunday, July 26, was undertaken at the invitation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The King is expected to engage with key stakeholders on the continent’s evolving food security situation during his stay.
During the visit, King Letsie III is scheduled to have an audience with President William Ruto before undertaking a field engagement in drought-affected areas.
The engagement is expected to highlight the worsening food security situation and its humanitarian impact across Africa.
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The Lesotho monarch will conclude his visit on Wednesday with a high-level meeting involving stakeholders, donors and members of the diplomatic community.
King Letsie III is accompanied by Lesotho’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security and Nutrition, Selibe Mochoboroane, Lesotho’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ntsiuoa Sekete, and other senior government officials.
On Monday, July 27, the King received a high-level briefing from IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain and Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Dr Ahmed Idris, alongside IFRC global leadership, Minister Mochoboroane and other members of the Lesotho delegation.
The briefing focused on the humanitarian situation and the growing food security challenges facing communities across Africa.
The visit comes weeks after Ruto visited South Africa and signed six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
The six agreements were signed on Thursday, June 4, following a meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ruto at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The first agreement was an MoU on the facilitation of trade through cooperation in the areas of standardization, technical regulation, conformity assessment, and accreditation.
Kenya and South Africa also signed agreements on shipping and maritime cooperation, promotion of partnership on gender equality and women empowerment, and cooperation in the field of technical and vocational education and training.
The two nations further signed agreements on arts, culture, and heritage, and in the field of sports and recreation.
Speaking after the signing of the 6 agreements, President Ramaphosa said Kenya is South Africa’s largest trading partner in the East African region.
He noted that the 6 MoUs will further expand our cooperation between the two countries.
"The Memoranda of Understanding that we have just signed provide a legal framework to further expand our cooperation," he stated.
On his part, Ruto said trade between Kenya and South Africa grew from $590 million in 2024 to $650 million in 2025.
"We noted with satisfaction the upward trajectory of our bilateral trade, which grew from $590 million in 2024 to $650 million in 2025, an increase of $60 million.
"This momentum must not only be sustained but must also accelerate. We acknowledge that real obstacles still remain, including tariffs and non-tariff barriers, limited market access, and regulatory constraints," he added.
