Kenya’s global star has been rising, but many people are frustrated with the country’s economic struggles, corruption, and human rights issues.

Although Kenya has strong relationships with Western countries, including the United States, these ties are sometimes strained due to concerns about poor governance, human rights abuses by security forces, and corruption.

Since assuming leadership, President William Ruto has been working to establish stronger international connections. However, at home, there is growing public frustration over economic challenges, high unemployment rates, and inefficiency, which has cut trust in public institutions.

On the international front, the U.S. and China have hosted President Ruto. Kenya’s president has sought to strengthen U.S. ties and maintain a “robust friendship” with China, despite his anti-China rhetoric during his campaign. Additionally, he aims to attract foreign investment and position Kenya as a global voice on climate change, as well as an advocate for Africa on climate finance and reforms to the international financial system. However, domestic politics compete with this global agenda.

According to a U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, “Kenya: Current Issues and U.S. Relations”, recently released, the complex environment President Ruto must navigate as he positions himself on the global stage and locally, particularly as he eyes re-election in 2027.

The CRS is a non-partisan arm of the U.S. Congress that delivers in-depth and authoritative analysis to help lawmakers shape foreign policy. Such reports influence congressional decisions and bilateral relations, specifically between the U.S. and Kenya.

The report highlights that successive U.S. administrations have advocated for greater accountability in cases of political violence and unresolved corruption. In 2024, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), of which the United States is a member, added Kenya to its “grey list” of countries subject to increased monitoring for money laundering and terrorist financing.

However, the Trump administration is yet to articulate what changes it may pursue with respect to the bilateral relationship with Kenya, but its initial engagement suggests continuity with past administrations.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken more often with President Ruto than any other African leader in his first months in office. In public statements, Rubio has underscored the value of the U.S.–Kenya relationship, emphasising the U.S.’s appreciation for Kenya’s leadership on regional peace and security, and has even pledged that the U.S. will continue to support Kenya’s deployment in Haiti.

“Rubio and Ruto have discussed the conflicts in DRC, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and Rubio has expressed appreciation for Kenya’s Haiti deployment. The Trump administration’s aid cuts and decision to close the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have implications for U.S. relations with the country. However, the full impact of assistance cuts in Kenya is not yet clear,” the CRS report states.

On the other hand, human rights groups have expressed alarm over a series of abductions and renditions of foreign dissidents from Kenya, which Amnesty International once described as part of a “growing and worrying trend in transitional repression.”

Another report released in early May, by a human rights organisation – Missing Voices – indicates that at least 55 cases of enforced disappearances were reported in Kenya in 2024. The report further states that between 2019 and 2024, over 970 Kenyans were victims of enforced disappearances or extrajudicial killings.

On May 12, President Ruto said all Kenyans reported missing under suspicious circumstances have been safely reunited with their families, emphasising his administration’s commitment to preventing enforced disappearances.

The President made the remarks during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who was in Kenya for a three-day official visit. The comment drew sharp criticism, with many Kenyans wondering whether it was an admission of guilt.

However, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen came out to clarify remarks by his boss, stating that the President only erred in the use of the terminology ‘abductions’, since he was speaking on reported cases.

“The real technical word to be used for abductions is missing persons, because in the first instance of reporting, nobody goes and says that so and so has been abducted, because abduction is when you now find the person culpable. It’s just like when you find someone dead, you say someone has been killed, but you will only establish by law whether it is murder or manslaughter once you go through the court process,” Murkomen said.   

President Ruto is walking a tightrope as he tries to balance global influence and domestic discontent while eyeing re-election in 2027.