Videos of President William Ruto sharing light-hearted moments with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have gone viral on social media, days into his visit to the country.
The clips, taken during the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), captured the ease and familiarity between the two leaders, whose close friendship has become increasingly visible in recent years.
In one widely shared video, Ruto stood with other dignitaries observing the waters of the dam when Abiy quietly approached from behind and playfully massaged his shoulders. Ruto then turned with surprise before the pair broke into laughter, drawing smiles from those nearby.
Another clip showed the two leaders scaling the dam’s long stairway together, at one point posing tightly together for a photo, a gesture interpreted by many as a symbol of fraternity.
Warm interaction between President William Ruto and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sparks mixed reactions on social media. pic.twitter.com/z80FqwVJ4B
— Nyakundi Report (@NyakundiReport) September 9, 2025
Online, Kenyans were quick to comment on the camaraderie, many amused by the public display of warmth.
“These guys are real friends,” one user remarked.
This is not the first public show of their close relationship.
In 2023, when Abiy visited Kenya for a state engagement, photographs captured the two greeting each other in pouring rain, undeterred as they exchanged handshakes, hugs, and wide smiles.
Their evident closeness has often fuelled online discussion about their unusually open rapport as heads of government.
Prime Minister Abiy and President Ruto friendship is GOOD for the two countries, We have a lot to learn from each other for the benefit of the people pic.twitter.com/vqziFYqBBq
— Amakanji Thomas (@AmakanjiThomas) September 9, 2025
Beyond the lighter moments, President Ruto’s visit to Ethiopia carries substantive significance.
Ruto travelled for the second Africa Climate Summit, a key platform building on last year’s Nairobi Declaration, where African leaders are pressing for climate finance, fairer carbon pricing, and reforms to the global financial system to strengthen the continent’s resilience and growth.
As chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), Ruto has a central role in shaping Africa’s unified stance on these issues.
In addition, he attended the official inauguration of the GERD alongside Abiy.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a bold affirmation of Africa’s ability to marshal its own resources and shape its destiny. Funded entirely by the Ethiopian people, it is more than an infrastructure project; it is Africa’s largest hydropower facility, with an estimated… pic.twitter.com/BgU1AXnmWl
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 9, 2025
The dam, one of Africa’s most ambitious hydroelectric projects, is expected to bolster regional energy supply.
President Ruto noted that Kenya will benefit directly through a power purchase agreement, deepening cooperation between the two nations.
It remains to be seen, however, how this will be executed, given that it is already igniting a storm online.