In the 1870s, Ismaʿil (r. 1863-1879) of the Egyptian Khedivate actively pursued expansionism in Africa. In 1875, a Khedival expeditionary force was sent to the Eastern African Coast under the authority of the Zanzibar Sultanate and occupied several towns. Trying to secure the goodwill of the Eastern African residents, the Khedival army declared that they were sent by the (Ottoman) Sultan of Muslims to protect poor Muslims and promised the revival of the slave trade, which was restricted by the Sultan of Zanzibar under British influence. At first glance, this approach contradicted the anti-slavery policy of the Khedivate, one of the main justifications to convince European powers, especially Britain, of its expansionist activities in Africa. However, later measures of the occupation troops showed the typical ambivalence of the Khedival anti-slavery policy. Once having a firm footing, the Khedival regime prohibited the sale of slaves, breaking the promise. At the same time, this order was not thoroughly enforced. Several reports informed that slave caravans were entered by land, and vessels with slaves were allowed to leave ports. This paper argues that the stance of the Khedivate on the slave trade shown in the East African expedition reflected its general policy direction regarding anti-slavery. On the one hand, the Khedivate instructed its governors to restrict the slave trade and actively revealed the will for anti-slavery to Western figures. On the other hand, it did not fully restrict the flow of slaves until the 1877 convention with Britain, because of its own need, such as the demand for slave soldiers. In this context, the promise of the revived slave trade and the seeming breach of it represented the general Khedival attitude in microcosm. Mainly based on British and Egyptian archival materials, along with several memoirs, this study intends to analyze an embodiment of the ambivalent Khedival approach to anti-slavery. Through this analysis, how a specific policy direction of the Khedivate was adjusted for its ultimate goal, establishing a stable and expanding imperialist power in Africa, will be examined. This study will also reveal the influences of the Khedival ambivalence about the slave trade on the sociopolitical situations of the Eastern African Coast. In doing so, the strategic approach of the Khedival imperialism and its ramifications can be clarified further.