Embassy of Finland in Nairobi - Suomen suurlähetystö Nairobi

Finland 🇫🇮 is a proud and longstanding supporter of UNFPA 🇺🇳. During a visit to Nairobi last week, Lauratuulia Lehtinen, Deputy Director General of the Development Policy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, joined us for an insightful visit to one of ‘s youth clinics in Kibera. 🇰🇪🏥

The clinic plays a vital role in ensuring that adolescent girls can access youth‑friendly sexual and reproductive health services. Meeting the dedicated staff and hearing directly from young people underscored how essential these free services are for their dignity, safety and continued education. 👩🏾‍⚕️💉📚

Finland’s contribution of 25 million euros in core funding in 2025 to 🇺🇳 reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that every young person can make informed choices about their futures. Core support enables the organization to respond flexibly and effectively to the needs of women and girls worldwide. 🚺✅🌍
Photo credit: UNFPA Kenya

With most of Kenya’s 🇰🇪 population under 35, creating more job opportunities for youth remains a priority.❗️🚜 Recently, an important step was taken to support young people in rural Kenya to build green businesses. 🌱

The Green Financing for Youth Employment (GFYE) project, funded by Finland 🇫🇮, is helping young people build skills and access loans so they can start or grow environmentally friendly businesses and earn a steady living. 💡📈

Partners involved in the GFYE project met for a validation workshop to review findings from a food systems study. The meeting highlighted agricultural sectors with strong business potential, offering clear opportunities for young people to invest, increase production, and create jobs. The analysis will inform and guide how the project is implemented. 🙏🏾

The study was led by FSD Kenya and funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, in collaboration with the National Treasury of Kenya and IFAD.

Societies are strongest when information is free and voices heard. Kenyan journalism has repeatedly demonstrated its value to democracy, and recommitting to media freedom is an investment in Kenya’s future.

Read 🇫🇮 Ambassador Riina-Riikka Heikka’s and 🇬🇧 High Commissioner Matt Baugh’s reflections on media freedom in the Star ⬇

UK and Finland champion media freedom in Kenya and around the world As Kenya looks ahead to the 2027 general elections, we must not forget the vital role of a free, independent and robust media.

This , we celebrate 50 years of partnership between Kenya and the European Union 🇪🇺🇰🇪

The relationship between Kenya and the EU is grounded in shared values and mutual interests. Together with Kenya, the EU continues to strengthen collaboration that delivers for people: advancing sustainable development, green transition ♻️, innovation, peace 🕊️ and inclusive growth 📈.

As part of Team Europe, Finland 🇫🇮 contributes its expertise in education, climate action, good governance as well as peace and security, reinforcing a strong and united EU engagement with Kenya.

Together, we build partnerships not only for today, but also for the next generation. Happy Europe Day! 🇪🇺❣️

Where a jacket marked “PRESS” once offered a measure of protection, now it is often a target. 🕵️‍♀️In a world riven with conflict, the media is a crucial line of defence, and it needs our protection.

Independent media is the foundation of democracy. It helps us understand the world, make informed decisions and hold those in power to account. 📝🎥

World Press Freedom Day reminds us that media freedom cannot be taken for granted. That is why Finland, together with the United Kingdom, co-chairs the Media Freedom Coalition to defend press freedom and the safety of journalists worldwide.✍️🤝🌏

Happy Labour Day - called Vappu in Finnish! 🎈🎉

Vappu is a major celebration in Finland 🇫🇮, and our embassy staff marked the occasion with two beloved Finnish traditions - baking Finnish donuts (“munkki”) and wearing high school graduation caps (“ylioppilaslakki”)

✨ The treats: Munkki is a fluffy, cardamom-spiced donut deep-fried and rolled in granulated sugar. They’re best enjoyed with a glass of fizzy sima (mead)!

✨ Spot a sea of white hats on the street? That’s the Ylioppilaslakki! Finns dust off their high school graduation caps every year for Vappu, no matter how long ago they graduated.

Hauskaa vappua! Glada vappen! 🎉

Suomen suurlähetystö Nairobissa on suljettu vappuna 1.5.2026🥳

Hätätapauksissa olethan yhteydessä ulkoministeriön päivystysnumeroon +358 91605555 tai [email protected]

The Embassy of Finland in Nairobi is closed 1 May 2026 due to Labor Day 🥳

In case of emergency, please contact the Finnish Foreign Ministry´s emergency number +358 91605555 or [email protected]

Finska ambassaden har stängt den 1 maj 2026 på grund av valborg 🥳

I nödfall kontakta utrikesministeriets konsulära jour: tfn +358 9 1605 5555 eller e-post [email protected]

Finland is a proud and long-standing supporter of the Women Military Peace Operations Course (WMPOC) 🪖. Ambassador Heikka had the pleasure of attending the closing ceremony held in Nairobi at the International Peace Support Training Centre Kenya 🇰🇪. It was an honor to be part of marking the amazing achievement of these incredible women.🏅

Full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping is absolutely key. Integrating gender perspectives and women’s leadership across all phases of the UN peace operations is not only a question of equality, but also of effectiveness and accountability 🇺🇳. Overall, the Women, Peace and Security agenda is one Finland’s priorities. 🇫🇮🕊️

Kiinnostaako työskentely Suomen suurlähetystössä Keniassa? 🇰🇪🤝🇫🇮

Suomen Nairobin-suurlähetystö hakee kahta opintojensa loppuvaiheessa olevaa korkeakouluharjoittelijaa 3 kuukauden harjoitteluun, ensimmäinen harjoittelu 1.6.2026 alkaen ja toinen 15.9.2026 alkaen (tai sopimuksen mukaan).

Lue lisää ja hae 1.5.2026 mennessä ⬇️
https://finlandabroad.fi/web/ken/ajankohtaista/-/asset_publisher/CM7OJCUki7DF/content/suomen-nairobin-suurlahetysto-hakee-kahta-korkeakouluharjoittelijaa-vuodelle-2026/384951

Last month marked a proud milestone as we concluded our project with the Kenya Red Cross Society: Prevention and Awareness Raising on Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

Promoting the rights of women and girls is at the heart of Finland’s partnership with Kenya. By teaming up with the Kenya Red Cross Society in Samburu, Bungoma, and Kilifi, we have:

⚖️ Strengthened referral pathways between police, health, and legal services.
💪🏾 Empowered male champions and traditional leaders to challenge harmful norms.
🎗️Provided psychosocial support and economic empowerment for survivors.
📅 Developed practical tools, such as county-specific seasonal calendars to identify periods of increased GBV risk.

As Finland concludes this project, the responsibility for sustainability now sits with the local partners. We call upon the National and County governments to not only integrate these tools into their planning but to allocate dedicated budgets to ensure these systems remain operational. Sustained funding is the only way to guarantee that the trained clinicians, sensitized officers, and community watch groups can continue their work.

To the Kenya Red Cross Society: thank you for your dedication. To the survivors: your strength inspires us to build a safer world. 🙏🏾