Kenya's foreign policy, alliances and global engagements.
President William Ruto’s ambitions to strengthen Kenya’s position on the global stage could be undermined by growing youth discontent, democratic backsliding and potential election-related violence ahead of next year’s polls, a study on Kenya-Germany relations has warned. The Kenya’s Global Player Ambitions: A Strategic Opportunity for Germany study published by Konrad-Adenauer- Stiftung argues that Kenya’s
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has tightened the criteria for deploying support and specialised professional staff to Kenyan diplomatic missions abroad. New guidelines issued by Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei effectively bars officers with unresolved disciplinary, audit, financial and integrity issues from consideration for posting. Further, officers seeking overseas assignments must meet stricter eligibility
The African Union and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) have signed their first-ever cooperation agreement to mobilise technical expertise and resources for Africa’s economic and social development. The memorandum of understanding, signed on October 15 seeks to strengthen coordination between the two institutions and support African-led development priorities. AU Commission Deputy
A US lawmaker has proposed a deal to exchange American agricultural and mining technology for Sudanese natural resources.. Republican Congressman Jim Baird has proposed the Sudan Investing in Minerals, Partnership, Agriculture, Commerce and Trade (IMPACT) Bill, which places the country’s gold, uranium and oil at the centre of a deal. The partnership is further tied
The African Union has renewed calls for stronger regional and international cooperation to protect migrants and combat human trafficking following the deaths of 109 people in a boat accident off the coast of Djibouti. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Sunday expressed sorrow over the tragedy, which claimed the lives of at least 15
The launch of the Sh2 trillion Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu on Wednesday exposed the competing energy interests within the region, with only a handful of top African leaders attending a project billed as a major East African investment. Of the heads of government from the East African Community, only Ugandan President Yoweri
Kenya is targeting a tenfold increase in fuel traffic to Rwanda through the Northern Corridor, in a deal that could strengthen Mombasa’s position as a key petroleum gateway for landlocked East Africa. The push was marked by the arrival of a 40,000-tonne consignment of refined petroleum products for Rwanda at the Kenya Pipeline Company’s Kipevu
Kenyan coffee exports to China surged by nearly 140 per cent between May and August, providing an early indication of the potential impact of Beijing’s zero-tariff policy on the country’s agricultural exports. Official data show Kenya exported 1.71 million kilogrammes of unroasted green coffee to China during the four-month period, up from 712,610 kilogrammes in
IGAD has ordered member states with outstanding arrears to clear their debts within one year through quarterly payments, alongside their pledges towards construction of the regional bloc’s new headquarters. The directive was adopted by the IGAD Council of Ministers during its 74th Extraordinary Session in Djibouti on Tuesday as the organisation moved to strengthen its
The regional bloc IGAD has renewed calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Sudan. At the same time, Intergovernmental Authority on Development on Tuesday warned that competing mediation efforts cannot deliver lasting peace without a coordinated political process owned by Sudanese themselves. In a communiqué issued after its 74th Extraordinary Session in Djibouti, IGAD
Kenya is exploring China’s capital markets for infrastructure financing as fiscal pressures and stalled projects push the government to diversify its sources of borrowing. The plan emerged from a meeting between Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Jin Liqun, where Kenya’s financing needs and opportunities to deepen cooperation with
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has defended Kenya’s crackdown on foreign nationals engaged in small-scale trade, insisting regional integration does not give EAC citizens a free pass to disregard Kenyan laws. Mudavadi on Thursday said Kenya was not imposing a blanket ban on foreign nationals engaging in small-scale businesses, but was seeking to ensure that
Somaliland is intensifying its push for US recognition, betting that its strategic position on the Red Sea can reshape Washington’s calculus. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, popularly known as Irro, arrived in Washington on September 8 for an 11-day diplomatic offensive aimed at strengthening ties with the Trump administration and Congress. The visit, which runs until
