Kenya requires a foreign policy grounded on reality not rhetoric

When President William Ruto strode into the United Nations General Assembly last month, he did so with the confidence of a man eager to brand himself as Africa’s “chief diplomat.” His speeches were long, his handshakes many and his hashtags trending.

But just as he tried to project himself as a continental statesman, US President Donald Trump casually lumped Kenya and Somalia in the same sentence as places America would no longer “police.” 

That contrast tells us everything about the current state of Kenya’s foreign policy. While Ruto is busy posturing and performing, the world still perceives Kenya as fragile, debt-burdened and politically unstable. The gap between rhetoric and reality has rarely been so glaring. 

Kenya’s leadership has always aspired to punch above its weight on the global stage. From the days of Tom Mboya’s Pan-African networking, through Jomo Kenyatta’s ‘wait and see’ diplomacy, to Kibaki’s pragmatism and Raila Odinga’s continental activism, Kenya has positioned herself as a voice of Africa. Nairobi hosts the UN headquarters in Africa, regional offices for major multilateral agencies, and countless international conferences.

But under Ruto, this legacy is being diluted into performance politics. Speeches full of buzzwords, “climate justice,” “digital economy,” “African solutions” are marketed with hashtags and headlines, yet they are rarely matched by coherent policy or substantive follow-through.

A foreign policy reduced to soundbites cannot shield a nation from the hard truths of international politics. This is why, despite Ruto’s endless proclamations, Trump could casually equate Kenya with Somalia. A war-torn state still struggling with basic governance.

Perception matters. It shows that in the corridors of power, our glossy PR cannot erase the image of a nation battling debt, corruption and political fragility. 

One of the greatest contradictions in Kenya’s foreign policy is the attempt to project global leadership while sinking deeper into dependency.

Every handshake with a Western leader, every trip to Beijing, every promise of partnership is tied to debt. Kenya’s ballooning external debt now well past Sh12 trillion casts a long shadow over any claim of independence or influence. 

You cannot posture as the “voice of Africa” while borrowing from China, the World Bank, the IMF, and the Eurobond market to finance recurrent expenditure. You cannot preach sovereignty in New York while your country’s fiscal space is dictated from Washington and Beijing. True diplomacy rests on credibility, and credibility requires economic stability. Without it, Kenya’s foreign policy risks becoming a hollow performance. 

Ruto’s approach to diplomacy also reveals a worrying personalisation of foreign policy. Kenya’s historical role in Africa, whether in peacekeeping in Somalia, mediation in South Sudan, or climate advocacy, was built on institutional credibility. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seasoned diplomats, and collective leadership shaped Kenya’s voice. 

Today, foreign policy is increasingly about Ruto himself, his trips, his speeches, his hashtags. This personalisation weakens Kenya’s ability to project long-term consistency. Policies are designed to feed into the president’s image rather than national interest. Handshakes replace strategy. Instagram moments replace negotiations.

Kenya urgently needs to reset its diplomacy. That reset must begin at home. A country drowning in debt, where corruption scandals erupt weekly, cannot command respect abroad. Economic stability, institutional strength, and political maturity are the foundations of influence. 

Second, Kenya must return to principle-driven diplomacy. Our role in Africa should not be reduced to Ruto’s personal ambitions. It must be rooted in real contributions: peacekeeping, fair trade, technology cooperation, and climate action. These require policies, investments, and alliances. Not just speeches. 

Third, Kenya must practise humility. There is no shame in acknowledging challenges. Diplomacy is more credible when honesty guides it. Pretending to be “HQ of Africa” while struggling to pay debt instalments only exposes us to ridicule. Real respect comes from delivery, not declaration.