Days after US President Donald Trump signed sweeping executive orders, some of which sought to freeze foreign aid to developing nations, Kenya is now reaching out to other friendly governments to patch up the withdrawn support.

As part of his desire to make America ‘great again’, Trump who was sworn in as the 47th US President on January 20, vowed to stop disbursing dollars from American taxpayers to countries that do not merit financial assistance.

President William Ruto yesterday made a maiden address to members of the diplomatic corps comprising Heads of Missions and International Organisations at State House.

During the meeting, Ruto read a self-appraised scorecard of his government’s achievements over the last two years, especially its efforts to spur national development programmes, foster security in warring nations, and champion the climate agenda on the international stage.

He told the delegates Kenya is seeking to expand diplomatic relations, cultivate strategic alignments and build bridges to advance the country’s interests.

“This year’s address will be institutionalised as an annual event to reflect on past achievements, deepen collaboration with the diplomatic community and set future priorities. Regular engagements will enhance mutual understanding and strategic alignment on many issues that affect all our nations,” the President said.

Even as many countries continue to ponder on the next move after the abrupt disruption of US aid dollars’ flow to indigents, Ruto clarified the revised 2024 Kenya foreign policy which he launched in December had aligned the country’s diplomatic strategy with evolving global dynamics.

“Our foreign policy priorities include deepening diplomatic ties, championing from Africanism, expanding international cooperation, enhancing regional stability, fostering economic development, advocating climate justice, addressing global health challenges and pursuing an equitable reform process in both international finance and international governance,” Ruto added.

Deepen relations

The Head of State who was last year nicknamed a Flying President said that the trips he made in 2024 were high-level state visits, to engage joint commissions and economic forums as he advances Kenya’s diplomatic priorities. “Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, we aim to deepen our existing bilateral relations while expanding our global reach through mutually beneficial partnerships including strengthening South-South cooperation and other interventions,” he said.

However, Ruto subtly kept on appealing for funding from countries as he remained emphatic on how lack of adequate finances was curtailing the implementation of local and international programmes that Kenya is spearheading.

Ruto cited the ongoing Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict that prompted him to co-chair an urgent meeting in Tanzania. He warned that if financial support is not consistent, the peace process will stall again and the humanitarian crisis will escalate.

“Peace initiatives such as the DRC process require sustained funding. However, many efforts falter due to inconsistent financing leading to delays that create vacuums and risk for violence,” he said.

He said the Heads of State resolved to merge the Nairobi and Luanda Peace Processes to address the funding challenges that affected the two initiatives. “We want to agree on a funding mechanism that is predictable and that can sustain the whole process to its conclusion because the situation in DRC is so dire, is so tragic,” he said.

About the peacekeeping mission in Haiti being undertaken by Kenyan police, Ruto appealed to the diplomatic community to encourage their governments to support the initiative.

Haiti mission

In the wake of the 90-day freeze on foreign aid by the US, President Ruto last week announced that he consulted State Secretary Marco Rubio who assured him that funding of the Haiti mission would not be affected by the stop of the support.

“Our discussion confirmed that the United States has specifically exempted its support for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti from the broader pause on federal assistance, recognising the critical need to sustain momentum for the mission and its role in stabilising Haiti and restoring order,” the President said after a phone call with Rubio

The President said that Kenya vouching for greater representation of Africa at the UN adding that the evolving global landscape calls for urgent reforms to make multilateral institutions more responsive to the needs of all nations.

“With 54 member states, 28 per cent of the UN’s membership, Africa must have a stronger voice to uphold fairness and equality in global decision-making. We hold similar views regarding international financial institutions,” Ruto stated.

He added: “Kenya supports efforts to reform the global financial architecture, ensuring fair debt restructuring, climate financing and development support. I urge our esteemed partners to back these necessary reforms for a more equitable and just economic system.”

Locally Ruto said that the government is prioritizing infrastructure development, universal health care, education, electricity access, job creation and reducing the cost of living to improve the livelihoods of Kenyans. “We are minimising waste, eliminating inefficiencies, closing avenues and intensifying the fight against corruption.

Taifa Care is making health care more accessible and the Hustler Fund has provided over Sh60 billion in affordable credit to businesses,” Ruto noted.

He urged the diplomats to explore opportunities for public-private partnership, trade and investment that could be critical in driving mutual prosperity between Kenya and the countries they represent.