Kenya: 70 days in office, Ruto intensifies foreign trips to woe investors

NAIROBI, Kenya - President Willaim Ruto who was sworn in as the country's 5th head of state has embarked on several foreign trips to regional, continental and global capitals in what could outdo his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.

It’s exactly 70 days in office as the president of Kenya, but he has had an aggressive campaign to boost Kenya’s foreign policy and enhance trade.

Prof Peter Kagwanja-Expert in Foreign Policy termed Ruto’s foreign trips are meant to awaken the poor diplomatic relations with the West.

“Both presidents Kibaki and Kenyatta were more aligned to the East and more particularly Asian giant China who are considered African friendly and care less about the political decisions of a sovereign country as opposed to the West are hardliners. But also we must understand that the UK and US are more interested in Kenya and this might play out during the US-Africa summit scheduled for next month.”

Last Sunday President left the country for a day of a state visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo where he held talks with his host President Felix Tshisekedi.

Ruto’s administration is playing a vital role in enhancing the region's anchor for peace, stability, security, and economic prosperity.

Already over 900 Kenya's Defence Forces troops have been deployed to DRC as part of the East African Community's Peace Mission.

The East African troops would "enforce peace" in embattled eastern DR Congo, where the M23 armed group has launched an offensive.
The President's trip to DRC comes at a time when he has also met EAC Presidents Samia Suluhu and Yoweri Museveni in a bid to enhance bilateral ties and boost trade between the countries.

Last month Ruto was on a state visit to Uganda during the country's 60th independence celebrations where he also held bilateral talks with Museveni and struck deals to boost trade.

In the same month of October President Ruto was in Tanzania for bilateral talks where the two countries agreed to joint construction of a 600KM gas pipeline linking Dar es Salaam to Mombasa and Nairobi.

The President was also in Ethiopia where he witnessed Safaricom's official entry into the Ethiopian market after holding talks with his host Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The head of state’s first foreign trip in September entailed attending the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service at the West Minister.

The president also visited the visited United States where he attended the Seventy-Seven sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.
Early this month, he attended the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt.

Earlier this week President Ruto left Nairobi to embark on a three-day official visit to the Republic of Korea for bilateral talks with President Yoon Suk-Yeol.

Prof Kagwanja, “The visit to South Korea is a strategic one because the country is a close ally to the US and whatever subject of discussion will be based on the interest of both the US and South Korea. Ruto is trying to get into good books with the West for trade deals while isolating the East and this is what all these foreign trips are all about.”

GAROWE ONLINE