Kenya engages in diplomatic and economic ties amid political unrest and inflation.

Amanuel Biedemariam May 5  2023

Summary:

• Kenya’s President William Ruto hosted Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for bilateral talks on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, among other issues of mutual interest.
• President Ruto also nominated three members to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), including former Bomet County Governor Isaac Ruto, Caroline King’oku, and Isaac Kiprono Ruto.
• Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mutua, met with Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Melanie Joly, to discuss trade, investments, development, and regional peace and security cooperation. They also agreed to facilitate scholarships and job opportunities for Kenyans and attract Canadian investments into Kenya.
• Kenya signed a USD 3 Billion Country Programme with Afreximbank to support trade and trade-related investments in the private and public sectors. President Ruto witnessed the signing.
• Kenya Power Board appointed Dr. Joseph Siror as the new Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Power, succeeding Eng. Geoffrey Muli, who had served since May 2022. Siror was previously the General Manager of Technical Services at KETRACO.
• Kenya also faced protests by opposition supporters led by Raila Odinga over high living costs and alleged electoral fraud in last year’s vote. The protests turned violent in some areas, with clashes between police and protesters and attacks on government offices. The government has defended its economic record and called for the protests to stop.

Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Kenya, where he held bilateral talks with President William Ruto. The discussions focused on various topics of mutual interest, such as peace and security in the Horn of Africa.

In another meeting, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Alfred Mutua, met with Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly to discuss cooperation. They agreed to work together to facilitate scholarships and job opportunities for Kenyans and attract Canadian investments into Kenya. They also reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration on strategic issues such as trade, investments, development cooperation, and regional peace and security. Additionally, the Government of Kenya signed a USD 3 Billion Country Programme with Afreximbank to support viable trade and trade-related investments in the country's private and public sectors, which President William Ruto witnessed.

Lastly, Kenya Power Board appointed Dr. Joseph Siror as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kenya Power. He succeeds Eng. Geoffrey Muli, who has held the position since May 2022. Before his appointment, Siror held the position of General Manager in charge of Technical Services at the Kenya Power Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO).

President Ruto also made some nominations to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on May 3, including former Bomet County Governor Isaac Ruto, Caroline King'oku, and Isaac Kiprono Ruto.

Last year's election in Kenya was marred by allegations of fraud and high living costs, leading to protests by opposition supporters. Unfortunately, these protests turned violent in some areas, resulting in clashes between protesters and police and attacks on government offices. While the government has defended its economic record and called for the protests to stop, the opposition has accused them of ignoring their demands for a new election and lower prices of essential commodities. This ongoing unrest has caused disruptions to businesses, transport, and public services in some parts of the country. The international community has called for both sides to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue to resolve the crisis peacefully.

However, after coming to an agreement with President William Ruto's government, Kenya's opposition led by Raila Odinga's Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) alliance has decided to suspend the anti-government protests scheduled for Thursday. The alliance's leadership made the announcement in a statement released on Wednesday.