President William Ruto’s decision to travel to Moscow for the Russia–Africa Summit marks a significant shift from his position three years ago, when he declined to attend the same gathering and instead opted for representation through African Union organs.
Ruto is attending the third Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum on October 28–29, his first trip to Moscow since becoming President in 2022.
The inaugural visit places him at the centre of a diplomatic engagement he previously argued should be handled collectively by African leaders.
At the time, Ruto publicly challenged the practice of African leaders travelling individually to foreign capitals for summits convened by powerful countries.
In July 2023, when Russia hosted the second edition of the summit in St Petersburg, State House announced that Ruto would not attend, saying Kenya’s decision was consistent with the AU’s position on partnership meetings organised by external powers.
“President William Ruto will not be personally attending the Russia-Africa summit; instead, he will be represented by organs of the Africa Union,” State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said at the time.
The decision followed Ruto’s criticism of arrangements that brought dozens of African leaders together to meet one leader from another continent, arguing that such engagements often failed to advance the continent’s collective interests.
In April 2023, Ruto said African countries had agreed to pursue a more coordinated approach to engagements with external partners, with the continent represented by a smaller group of leaders.
“We have decided that it is not intelligent for 54 of us to go and sit before one gentleman from another place,” he said, criticising the limited time allocated to African leaders at such gatherings.
The President argued that Africa needed to negotiate as a bloc rather than accept arrangements that reduced its leaders to participants in meetings with little tangible benefit.
Yet his latest trip to Moscow indicates this position has since changed.
But Moscow visit is not the first time he has departed from his earlier position on such summits.
In January 2024, he attended the Italy–Africa Summit in Rome despite previously declaring that he would not participate in meetings organised by a single country inviting African leaders.
Explaining his decision, Ruto said the format adopted by Italy was different and offered a more pragmatic approach to cooperation.
“I have previously noted that an invitation extended by one country to all 54 African nations did not necessarily serve Africa’s best interests,” he said.
He added that the arrangement adopted by the Italian government was “different and inspiring”.
The Rome meeting demonstrated that Ruto’s opposition was not necessarily to every summit convened by an individual country, but to formats he considered ineffective or inconsistent with Africa’s interests.
President Ruto has also attended the Saudi–Africa Summit in Riyadh in November 2023, the Korea–Africa Summit in Seoul in June 2024 and the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation summit in Beijing in September 2024.
His subsequent participation in engagements convened by other global powers has further complicated the distinction between his original position and his current diplomatic practice.
The Moscow visit further raises questions on whether it represents a deliberate recalibration of Kenya’s foreign policy or a pragmatic decision driven by the opportunities and challenges presented by relations with Russia.
In announcing the Moscow visit, State House presented the summit as an opportunity to expand Kenya’s export markets, attract investment and create jobs.
Ruto is expected to pursue greater access for Kenyan tea, coffee, cut flowers, fresh produce and value-added products, alongside partnerships in agriculture, energy, infrastructure and digital technology, a position shared by the Foreign ministry.
The government also wants to secure affordable agricultural inputs and strengthen food security, while positioning Kenya as an investment gateway to African markets.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who is accompanying the President, has similarly emphasised trade and investment opportunities arising from the engagement.
But the economic agenda comes against a difficult backdrop in bilateral relations.
Kenyan families have demanded answers over relatives who travelled to Russia after allegedly being promised civilian employment but ended up in military service linked to the war against Ukraine.
In March 2026, Mudavadi announced that Kenya and Russia had agreed that Kenyans would no longer be eligible to enlist through Russia’s Defence Ministry to fight in Ukraine, while arrangements were to be made to assist citizens already recruited.
The government has since faced pressure to account for missing recruits, facilitate the return of survivors and help families establish the fate of those killed.
Mudavadi told Parliament in October that the government had recorded 354 Kenyans connected to the conflict, including 84 classified as killed or missing in action. Other investigations and families have cited higher numbers.
The Moscow summit therefore presents Ruto with an opportunity to pursue economic cooperation while addressing a sensitive issue affecting Kenyan citizens.
It remains unclear whether the President will raise the recruitment crisis directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin or secure new commitments on the welfare and repatriation of affected Kenyans.
