Kenya must pursue a robust and strategic foreign policy hinged on diplomatic wisdom and tact, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said.
Mudavadi said Kenya will seek to lead the region and continent in rallying a common and well-coordinated diplomatic response to the new scramble and geopolitical influences by emerging and traditional powers.
This, he said, will ensure the security and prosperity of the people, and promote regional cooperation and peaceful co-existence for mutual benefit.
“In an ever-evolving global arena, a grand strategy enables the country to develop anticipatory policies that will empower it to navigate the dynamic landscape of 21st-century international relations,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi spoke on Kenya’s grand strategy in a changing world, at the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi.
“The ‘grandness’ of the strategy is based on the fact that policy goals and interests are long-term rather than immediate or short-term. Our collective policy strategies constitute a grand strategy,” he explained.
Mudavadi noted that Kenya’s foreign policy runs on vigorous diplomacy and not aggressive confrontation; one that is more decisive, with more pointed national interests, and not transactional.
He noted that quiet diplomacy rather than trumpet diplomacy is the foremost instrument of foreign policy in Kenya’s harmonious relations with other states, guided by research-based decision-making.
Mudavadi also explained that Kenya’s grand strategy employs economic, diplomatic, defence and technological to achieve foreign policy objectives.
The PCS stated that cooperative ties with neighbourly states within the East African Community are the number one referents of Kenya’s foreign policy.
Similarly, he said the region has become increasingly interdependent hence trade tensions and absolute detachment are no longer justifiable in the East African Community.
“The future of our region and continent depends on deepening integration, not deepening divisions. Kenya, as a core state in the region and Africa, is committed to the promotion of intra-Africa trade under the collective aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union’s agenda of visa liberalization to foster Africa’s integration,” Mudavadi added.
Mudavadi said that Kenya continues to steer its economic diplomacy for the development of the country and the prosperity of its people.
He noted that Kenya aims to be a competitive, export-led economy and responsive job creation for the people.
“We will focus on fostering sustainable development and economic growth through diversification, innovation, and strategic partnerships. In our grand plan as we advance, these strategic agreements will be unbundled and frequently explained to our citizens,” the CS said.
Mudavadi said the grand plan will move to close the missing link between the country’s foreign policy and the citizen’s understanding and engagement in international affairs.
This is to be achieved through direct public participation or advanced parliamentary engagements on foreign policy.
Similarly, parliamentary diplomacy has become important in global affairs, with the Prime CS saying that for years, successive administrations have been shying away from engaging and sharing their foreign policy with parliament.
He, however, declared his intent to break away from this, saying that Parliament is a key player in Kenya’s grand foreign policy plan.
“Strengthening parliamentary democracy, deepening the rule of law, and empowering institutions to fight corruption informs our grand strategy. Kenya has an impeccable history of on-schedule democratic transfer of power,” he added.
He said the desired results in foreign policy will be achieved through teamwork of government ministries and agencies.
“As one of the pillars of our foreign policy, diaspora diplomacy aims to harness the diverse skills, knowledge, expertise, and resources of Kenyans abroad, and facilitate their integration into the national development agenda. The Diaspora are our cultural and economic ambassadors,” he added.
Kenya continues to pitch on summit diplomacy which he said, has seen the president lead the foreign policy, directly engaging other heads of state and government.
“The emerging trend today is the continuous use of high-level visits, including state visits by state leaders to drive their foreign policy agendas. This is why, like other strategic world leaders, the president and the Prime Cabinet Secretary have invigorated our foreign engagements through trips abroad to various strategic partner states,” Mudavadi said.
