Deputy President Kithure Kindiki Travels to Ethiopia for Tana Security Forum

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki travelled to Ethiopia to attend the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, arriving in Bahir Dar on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

He left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the morning on a Kenya Air Force Fokker 70 and landed at Dejazmach Belay Zeleke International Airport, posting arrival photographs on his official Facebook account.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received Kindiki and the two leaders held a brief bilateral meeting before the forum opened, with Abiy saying he was pleased to receive Kenya’s Deputy President ahead of the gathering.

The forum, organised by the Tana Forum Secretariat and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University, runs from October 23 to 25 in Bahir Dar and brings together about 250 participants, including current and former heads of state, diplomats, academics, civil society and private-sector representatives.

The 12th edition is themed “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation” and will examine how African nations can strengthen economic independence, manage natural resources, achieve monetary sovereignty and address illicit economies that undermine governance.

Ghana’s President John Mahama chairs the Tana Forum Board, which also includes former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta, Goodluck Jonathan, Joyce Banda and Catherine Samba-Panza.

Established in 2012 following the African Union’s 2009 Tripoli Declaration, the forum provides an informal platform for African leaders and experts to discuss security challenges and generate policy-relevant ideas.

Kindiki’s attendance follows President William Ruto’s return from Harare where he attended the 25th COMESA summit, handed over the bloc’s chairmanship to Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and oversaw the launch of the COMESA Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2026-2030.

Kenya and Ethiopia, sharing a border, regularly cooperate on security and regional matters, and Kindiki’s participation places Kenya among the countries engaging in discussions on African-led approaches to peace and stability.