Kenya's foreign policy, alliances and global engagements.
The long-stalled extension of the Standard Gauge Railway is set to resume construction, reviving one of Kenya’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. The resumption of works on the Narok–Kisumu and Kisumu–Malaba phase follows a high-level meeting at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday with top executives from China Communications Construction Company, the lead contractor for the project.
A new report has revealed slow progress in the renovation of several Kenyan diplomatic missions abroad, despite hundreds of millions of shillings allocated for the projects in the current financial year. According to the Controller of Budget’s National Government Budget Implementation Review Report, renovation works at multiple missions recorded no expenditure between July and December
Kenya could face renewed political and economic pressure as fallout from the Iran conflict ripples through global energy markets and strategic trade routes. A new geopolitical risk assessment places Kenya among 38 African economies on the “losing end” of the crisis due to its status as a net importer of hydrocarbons. Med-Or Monthly Africa Report
Tensions over the US sanctions on Rwanda have deepened after sharply different reactions from Kigali and Kinshasa, even as the M23 rebels claimed fresh fighting near Kisangani. The DRC welcomed the sanctions announced by Washington against the Rwanda Defence Force and four senior officials. The government said the move supports Congo’s sovereignty and the search
Washington has imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Forces and four top generals over support for the M23 rebel group. The US on Monday announced the sanctions citing Kigali’s backing of M23 rebels fighting in eastern DRC in a move that could reshape politics and trade across the Great Lakes region. In a statement, US
The escalating conflict in the Middle East is likely to hit various sectors across Kenya’s economy, as families with loved ones in the region experience intense anxiety. From fuel prices to exports and the safety of workers in Gulf states, the crisis is already being felt at home. The escalation followed attacks by Israeli and
Germany is the latest Western power to express interest in Kenya’s growing space programme. A delegation from the German Aerospace Center visited the Kenya Space Agency on Wednesday to explore areas of collaboration. The visit brought together officials from DLR and representatives from German industries for discussions on potential cooperation in the space sector. The
BY AGNES GITAU When PM Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned Hargeisa on December 26 to inform Somaliland president Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi that Israel would become the first country to recognise his territory’s independence, the decision may have looked like bold diplomacy from Jerusalem. However, from the Horn of Africa, it looked like a dangerous ignorance of a
DR MOHAMED A. OMAR On December 26, 2025, the State of Israel formally recognized the Republic of Somaliland as a sovereign and independent nation. By doing so, Israel became the first country in more than three decades to do so. This decision, rooted in realism, legitimacy, and the spirit of the Abraham Accords, is not
Kenya has mounted a robust defence of its human rights record following reports that it ignored United Nations inquiries over alleged human rights violations, risking sanctions. In two separate documents, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs denied allegations of abductions and enforced disappearances linked to anti-government protests, instead saying the government continues to cooperate with UN mechanisms and
Two activists were arrested on Tuesday as civil society continued to sustain pressure on the Kenyan and Ugandan governments to ensure the release of their counterparts, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo. Julius Kamau and Mulinge Muteti were arrested as they sought to access the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have an audience with PCS Musalia
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has launched the Foreign Policy Mashinani initiative, an inaugural programme seeking to bring Kenya’s foreign policy to the grassroots. The initiative, which was recommended in the Sessional Paper No.1 of 2025 on the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kenya, was launched at the Mama Grace Onyango Cultural
The South Sudan’s government has ordered international organizations and NGOs operating in the country to keep their funds in local banks, warning that the era of routing money through neighboring Kenya or Uganda is over. Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomuro called out international organizations and non-governmental groups operating in South Sudan for banking in
