Peter Mbae: Kenya has no clear foreign policy under Ruto
Dr Peter Mbae, a leadership and governance expert and former Head of Government Delivery Services, has criticised President William Ruto’s administration by stating that Kenya lacks a clear foreign policy direction.
Mbae voiced sharp criticism over Kenya’s approach to foreign relations on Thursday, August 7 2025, in an interview with a local media house, where he further accused the government of lacking a coherent foreign policy and attempting to appease multiple global powers without a defined national interest.
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“The problem with us as a country is that we don’t know what direction we want to take, and what we want. We don’t have a foreign policy,” Mbae stated
At the time of the interview, he pointed out Kenya’s involvement in several international affairs, from deploying forces to Haiti, engaging with China, and involvement in the DR Congo, as signs of a government trying to “please everybody in the world.”
Mbae further questioned Kenya’s recent move to welcome elements of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), warning that such decisions may risk the country’s stability and credibility on the global stage.
“We are inviting RSF to form a parallel government,and we want to be chairpersons of everything,” Mbae said.
Ruto defends diplomatic ties
Worth noting, Mbae’s remarks come at a time when President William Ruto responded to a move by the United States to review Kenya’s designation as a Major Non-NATO, saying his foreign policy choices are based on what is best for the country.
Ruto made his remarks on Wednesday, August 6 2025, during the Presidential Private Sector Roundtable event held in Nairobi.
On his part, the Head of State defended Kenya’s growing trade ties with countries such as China, stating that his administration is focused on unlocking new markets to benefit Kenyan producers and correcting long-standing trade imbalances.
“It is what I must do for Kenya. It’s in the best interest of Kenya that we get into this market,” Ruto said while addressing concerns that Kenya may be leaning too heavily toward non-Western economic partners.
He admitted that some traditional allies have questioned Kenya’s expanding trade with China, but insisted that his decisions are driven by Kenya’s economic needs.
“Some of our friends are complaining that we are doing too much trade with China. When I sat with President Xi Jinping, I told him Kenya is importing Sh600 billion of products from China, yet we are only exporting maybe 5%. That trade imbalance is serious,” Ruto said.
