Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has attributed the influx of global leaders visiting Kenya to President William Ruto's strong criticism of foreign powers and global financial institutions.
According to Mutua, in a statement dated Friday, July 28, the heads of state and diplomats were endeared to Ruto after he publicly condemned the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
The global leaders thus seek to form more partnerships with Kenya owing to Ruto's new foreign policy said to be bold, robust and firm.
Among the leaders who visited Kenya since the year started are Iran President Raisi Ebrahim, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.
Mutua, the former Machakos governor, highlighted some key changes Ruto had advocated for, particularly reengineering the international financial architecture to address its perceived unfairness towards most developing countries.
In addition to the international visits by foreign leaders, the CS emphasized that Ruto's foreign trips were a direct outcome of the impactful policies and initiatives he showcased at various global events.
"The President’s sentiments on these global and strategic matters continue reverberating with global leadership, financial experts and economists.
"It is important to highlight that President remains the principal driver of Kenya’s foreign policy dispensation," read the statement in part.
Mutua added that championing changes on the global stage was also in line with Ruto's aspirations of the Bottom-Up economic model.
"This is out of the President’s firm realisation that there could never be sustainable development and peace without a whole-of-society approach to economic activities and advancement," he added.
On the other hand, he revealed that the ministry aligned with the president's strategy to secure Kenya Kwanza's goals and legacy.
In the recent past, Ruto emerged as a strong advocate for reforms within global institutions, garnering significant support from numerous leaders, especially those hailing from the African continent.
For instance, Ruto actively advocated for Africa to send delegates to global events rather than all Presidents flying to represent their respective countries. He strongly criticised the UK for hauling all African Presidents in a bus after they were invited to attend the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The African Union (UN) effected his proposal and sent a delegation to the second 2nd Russia - Africa Summit, which ended on July 29.
Instead of attending the event, Ruto chose to conduct development tours in the coastal region.
On IMF & World Bank, Ruto asked the global lenders to ease their stronghold on Africa and allow the countries to have more say in policies affecting them. A robust system, he stated, would give Africans a voice on global matters.
In response, Julie Kozack, the Director of Strategic Communications at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), asked Ruto and other critics to consider the positive impact the organisation has had on developing countries through its financial interventions.
However, France President Emmanuel Macron, assured Ruto that his administration would champion the equitable distribution of resources. France was among the superpowers Ruto called upon to undertake to restructure financial systems to address poverty and climate change impacts.
