Diplomatic Blunders By The Kenya Kwanza Government Are Isolating Kenya On The Regional & International Stage

There is a saying among the wise: When the gods wish to punish a nation, they grant it a leader who cannot read the stars nor the winds. In Kenya, the gods must have been particularly wrathful, for they gifted us William Ruto, a man whose grasp of diplomacy is as firm as a monkey clutching at water. From the moment he seized the reins of power, his government embarked on a reckless, embarrassing, and deeply costly journey of diplomatic misadventures, turning Kenya from an esteemed regional power into a global object of ridicule.

One of his earliest sins was his attempt to recalibrate Kenya’s foreign policy in favor of the West. The handshake with the United States and Europe came with all the pomp and circumstance of a village feast, yet beneath the surface lay a betrayal of Kenya’s non-aligned status. The hasty, almost desperate severance of ties with China—our largest infrastructure benefactor—was executed with the grace of a hyena attempting ballet. The result? Key projects stalled, relations soured, and Beijing, that master of the long game, started casting its eye towards more reliable neighbors like Tanzania.

But the most egregious blunder, one that sent shivers down the spine of seasoned diplomats, was Ruto’s reckless engagement with Haiti. Kenya, once a beacon of regional peacekeeping, was suddenly committing to deploying police officers to a foreign land embroiled in chaos. Never mind that Haiti’s crisis was not our fight; never mind that our officers were ill-equipped and unprepared. Ruto, in his boundless ambition to be seen as a statesman, disregarded our own constitution, international law, and common sense. Article 240 of the Constitution of Kenya demands that any deployment of security forces must be sanctioned by the National Security Council and vetted by Parliament. But what is the law to a man who believes his word is the gospel? The Haitian debacle was a folly from the start—opposed domestically, mocked internationally, and stillborn before it could even take off.

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Then came the spectacle at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where Ruto, the self-proclaimed hustler, delivered a speech so vacuous, so riddled with platitudes, that even seasoned diplomats struggled to keep a straight face. Kenya’s representation on the global stage was reduced to recycled slogans, incoherent demands for global financial reform, and the desperate mimicry of statesmen far more seasoned than himself. It was a tragedy, a farce, a moment when Kenya’s seat at the table of nations became nothing more than a stool for the uninitiated.

But it gets worse. The blundering bull charged into the African Union (AU), attempting to muscle his way into continental affairs while simultaneously alienating Ethiopia, Uganda, and South Africa. His absurd attempt to broker peace in Sudan without engaging the principal actors demonstrated a staggering level of arrogance and naiveté. The AU, ever diplomatic, tolerated his presence but ensured that he remained as inconsequential as a fly on the wall. The irony was lost on no one: the man who could not govern his own backyard sought to play peacemaker in a war he barely understood.

Even more alarming is the situation brewing in Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the notorious paramilitary group embroiled in Sudan’s civil war, has reportedly been making moves to establish a parallel government in Nairobi. This development, facilitated by Kenya’s erratic diplomatic stance, has not only infuriated Sudan’s legitimate leadership but also raised serious security concerns within the region. Hosting a rogue faction within our borders is akin to inviting a cobra into one’s hut and hoping it will only bite the neighbor. Such recklessness not only endangers Kenya’s diplomatic credibility but also exposes the country to retaliatory geopolitical maneuvers that could have dire consequences.

Perhaps the most catastrophic of all was his mishandling of relations with the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, the largest employer of Kenyan migrant workers, was slapped in the face with diplomatic gaffes that saw remittances dwindle and labor relations strained. The UAE, a key trade partner, watched in amused disbelief as Ruto’s government engaged in senseless bureaucratic games, delaying critical agreements and weakening economic ties. In the grand bazaar of diplomacy, Kenya’s stall, once thriving, was now gathering dust.

Where does this leave the country? Isolated, weakened, and adrift. Our traditional allies view us with suspicion, our regional partners doubt our commitments, and our global standing diminishes by the day. Kenya, once the diplomatic heartbeat of East Africa, has been reduced to a clumsy jester performing in an arena where only the sharpest minds survive.

But the law is clear. Article 73 of the Constitution demands that power must be exercised with integrity, accountability, and transparency. Article 132 mandates the President to uphold international relations in the best interest of Kenya, not in pursuit of personal vanity projects. By flouting these provisions, Ruto and his administration stand guilty of abusing office, engaging in reckless governance, and violating the public trust. The verdict of history will be unkind, but the judgment of the people must come sooner.

For now, as the world watches, Kenya must brace itself. The wind has shifted, the tide is turning, and the hustler-in-chief may soon find that in the game of nations, blunders are paid for in blood, treasure, and the silent, irreversible loss of respect.

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