In his last formal meeting with his diplomats early in June, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta told the gathering in Nairobi that he was retiring a satisfied man.
Kenya, he said, had won the seat at the UN Security Council, beaten back terror threats, improved its status and its influence in the region and internationally was back, after initial struggles in his term.
This was a farewell session and he used it to showcase his diplomatic legacy from the near-pariah status early in 2013 to now the man trying to seek peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We have managed to open up non-traditional markets and can now export agricultural produce to China and South Korea,” he said. “You should continue raising Kenya’s flag and be creative to boldly push our agenda.”
Mr Kenyatta is, by law, expected to step down later this year once a new president is elected and sworn in after the August 9 elections. But he has suggested Kenya will not abandon some of his policies.
One of his latest projects is trying to save the DR Congo from war. He has suggested a regional military force deployment, something his peers in the region have endorsed.
“As a country, we will continue to support the work of regional, international and multilateral organisations in finding lasting solutions to conflict, environmental crises, and terrorism activities for a free, secure, culturally diverse and habitable world,” he said. “Indeed, during our tenure at the UN Security Council, our contribution has been anchored in an enduring hope and the firm belief that together, we can create a better world.”
This week, he was co-hosting the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, where countries offered a $1 billion commitment to protecting the oceans. That was his 158th official outing abroad.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo says President Kenyatta has always sought for consensus rather than confrontation.
“Kenya continues to work collaboratively with like-minded members of the Security Council to advance its four broad priority objectives: regional peace and security; peace support operations; counter-terrorism and violent extremism; and climate and security,” she said last week in a bulletin.
Some observers concede that the President improved the country’s image, even though there are problems at home.
“President Kenyatta has brought a personal charm to the conduct of the country’s external relations,” said Leonard Wanyama, regional coordinator of East African Tax and Governance Network. He has maintained a pragmatic security posture and ensured continuity in economic diplomacy, at times spicing it up with things like roses to doctors and nurses in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
According to Mr Wanyama, Kenyatta has managed to market Kenya as a stable democratic state, through soft power initiatives like the Safari Rally, athletics championships, and the military museum in Nairobi.
