Unknown Details of Ruto’s Ksh 300M Deal With Trump Ally Revealed
Kenya has defended hiring a firm belonging to Carlos Trujillo, an ally of United States President Donald Trump, to lobby and polish its image in the US.
Through a statement released on Thursday, August 28, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi asserted that the deal, worth over Ksh300 million, was aligned with Kenya’s best interests in mind and done according to the law.
“The Government of the Republic of Kenya takes serious note of the misleading allegations published by a section of Kenyan media about Kenya’s engagement of a US-based public affairs and lobbying firm,” he stated.
“These reports are gravely inaccurate and lack a factual basis,” Mudavadi stated.
He argued that the move would bring guaranteed returns and was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, safeguarding national interests, promoting tourism and trade, and amplifying Kenya’s voice on priority issues such as climate finance, security, and investment.
In official documents shared by the US Department of Justice dated August 8, the deal, which was not publicly announced, revealed that Kenya would pay over Ksh20 million a month for the next year to Continental Strategy LLC.
Although the document did not reveal the exact services the firm will offer, Kenya’s selection of Trujillo’s firm could be attributed to his deep ties to Republican power circles.
The lobbying efforts would include preserving Kenya’s trade privileges, countering negative perceptions about Ruto’s administration, and navigating complex diplomatic tensions, especially after Kenya’s recent close relations with China.
While defending the deal, Mudavadi noted that the presence of the details of the deal on the DOJ website was testament to the transparency of the agreement.
Key to the deal was to accelerate conversations around the trade agenda, and secure the best possible outcome for Kenya’s trade with the US in the post-Africa Growth Opportunities Agenda (AGOA) era.
Another key agenda was to seek support for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, where Kenya is the lead nation for the peace initiative.
In addition, Mudavadi, who also serves as the Foreign Affairs CS, revealed that the deal was not unique to Kenya, noting that 17 countries globally had existing lobbying contracts with American firms worth more than $21 million (Ksh2.7 billion).
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