- President William Ruto's aggressive campaign to boost the country's foreign policy.
- Ruto has visited at least 7 countries in 70 days.
President William Ruto's aggressive campaign to boost the country's foreign policy and enhance trade is the biggest highlight of his 70 days in office.
Ruto who was sworn in as the country's fifth president, has embarked on visits to regional, African and world capitals in what could outdo his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.
Following his swearing in on September 13, Ruto embarked on a deliberate diplomatic charm offensive to shore up and also maintain the country's relations with foreign countries.
The President on Sunday set off for a day state visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo where he held talks with his host President Felix Tshisekedi.
Ruto is seeking to enhance Kenya's central role as the region's anchor for peace, stability, security and the economic prosperity.
As part of Ruto's diplomatic and military charm offensive, Kenya's Defence Forces troops have been deployed to DRC as part of the East African Community's Peace Mission.
Ruto said on Monday that the East African troops would "enforce peace" in embattled eastern DR Congo, where the M23 armed group have launched an offensive.
“The regional force will enforce peace on those who are hellbent on creating instability," Ruto said in a news conference in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa.
Notably, to also enhance Nairobi's place in regional diplomacy, Ruto allowed his predecessor Uhuru to take up an EAC peace mediation role in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa.
The President's trip to DRC come at a time when he has also meet Presidents Samia Suluhu(Tanzania), Yoweri Museveni(Uganda) in a bid to enhance bilateral ties and boost trade between the countries.
In October, Ruto visited Uganda during the country's 60th independence celebrations where he also held bilateral talks with Museveni and struck deals to boost trade.
The visit came at a time Kenya's exports to Uganda had dipped 8.5 per cent to Sh46.77 billion during the half year compared to the same period in 2021, according to Central Bank figures.
Despite Uganda having been Kenya's highest importer, United States overtook Kampala as Kenya's number one export destination.
Also in October, Ruto visited Tanzania for bilateral talks where the two countries agreed for a joint construction of 600KM gas pipeline linking Dar es Salaam to Mombasa and Nairobi.
The President was also in Ethiopia where he witnessed Safaricom's official entry into the Ethiopian market after holding talks with his host Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
His first foreign trips in September entailed attending the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service at the West Minister Abey in London.
The president also visited the visited United States where he attended Seventy-Seven session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Early this month, he attended the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt.
On Monday Ruto left Nairobi to embark on a three-day official visit to the Republic of Korea for bilateral talks with His Excellency President Yoon Suk-Yeol.
During his tenure, Uhuru was seen as a charming leader who boosted the country's diplomatic image in the region and around the globe.
It is not clear if Ruto's latest aggressive foreign trips would dwarf Uhuru as the most travelled Kenyan President.