Kenya’s foreign policy may see continuity amid change

Content type: Expert Briefings Location: KENYA Keywords associated with this article:

Geographic: Kenya AF

ISSN: 2633-304X Citation:

Oxford Analytica (2022), "Kenya’s foreign policy may see continuity amid change", Expert Briefings.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Significance

Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta maintained a highly visible presence in regional and international affairs. It remains an open question whether new President William Ruto will match this, but he looks likely to remain visibly engaged.

Impacts

• Ruto faces challenges in meeting his ambitious campaign promises; this will motivate a keen interest in economic diplomacy.
• Ruto may view regional relations largely in terms of potential markets for Kenyan businesses or possibilities for economic deals.
• Ruto may hope diplomacy can bolster his capacity to finance a 2027 re-election campaign and to protect himself once out of power.