WHICH WAY , EAST OR WEST?

 Since independence , Kenya has has shaped its foreign policy in either West or East. By West, I mean USA and Western European countries and majority of this are democracies and are staunch followers of the laissez faire economics. That is , they are purely capitalists. East represents countries like Russia , China , Japan etc. Majority of them are communists and autocratic and authoritarian regimes save for Japan. When Kenya got independence in 12th December, 1963 and one year later became a republic under the late founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta , Kenya found itself in a catch 22 situation. Kenyatta had two close allies from the lake region who were holding brief for both US and USSR. This were his Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and his Economic planning minister Tom Mboya. Oginga was pro- USSR and Mboya was pro-US.  Kenyatta found himself entangled in this issue and though he had spent a considerable number of years in UK , he was easily lured by the British government and Mboya to join the capitalist train and enjoy the goodies that came with it. 

Mzee Jomo Kenyatta finally shaped Kenya's foreign policy towards the West to the chagrin of his VP Oginga Odinga who stood firm is propelling the agenda of both USSR and China. Exit Kenyatta enter Moi. In 1979 , after the demise of the founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta , his VP Daniel Moi was elected an opposed as the successor of Mzee Kenyatta. He pledged to follow the Nyayo (footsteps) of his predecessor. To shape his foreign policy , President Moi continued to the West and this time in a dogmatic manner. Though his leadership was characterized as authoritarian, despotic and dictatorial , the West had no problem with it as long as he was checking the spread of communism by cutting the USSR and China influence in the Horn of Africa and the East Africa region. By doing this , Kenya was a recipient of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) through IMF and WB, they channelled billions of shillings and also , won lucrative Goverment tenders which were inflated and the very lenders decided the rules of the game. By doing this , the West exploited Kenya to the core. Kenya plugged into the abyss of debt and mismanagement of the economy until the collapse of the USSR when the dalliance between the West and KANU regime came to a break even point. 

The US and UK and other bilateral and multilateral donors reversed their foreign policy on Kenya. They started employing the stick and carrot politics. To effect this , their conditionalities on foreign aid was pegged on political and governance reforms. They dictated that , a point of inflection from autocratism to Democracy must not only be heard but be seen , smelled and touched. IMF and WB ensured that President Moi repealed section 2A of the constitution inorder to usher pluralism back in 1991. As at that point , the West was exploiting Kenya at an astronomical levels. The very funds they were advancing to us , they were being bribed with it by the KANU regime mandarins and the little that was left , was looted at stashed in off shore account to the behest of the West. That's how even with foreign aid a mounting to billions of shillings between 1979 to 2002 , nothing was there for the KANU regime to show. Moi's foreign policy became a thorn in KENYA'S flesh. It became the genesis of the Country's economic woes. Plagued with huge multilateral and bilateral debts , unabated inflation and looting and embezzling of public funds by the very Goverment that was tasked to look at the affairs of the State and Government in a sober manner. 

When President Kibaki took over on 31st December , 2002 , he immediately shaped his foreign policy. He turned towards East unapologetically and unequivocally to the detriment of the West. After the west realized Kenya is drifting off from their side , the IMF cme with juicy offers on how it will continue bailing Kenya since, Kibaki inherited a ravaged economy which was in tiny fragments. As an astute economist , Kibaki told off IMF and WB. He immediately knocked the doors of China. From 2003 to 2013 , most mega infrastructural projects during Kibaki tenure were funded by China. The business environment too especially for medium and small microenterprises (MSMEs) , looked to China for products which were affordable and cheap and the bottlenecks to purchase and ship them to Kenya were extremely cheap. Kibaki , through his foreign policy with the East opened the World for Kenyans. Upto date , many businesses imports their merchandise from Beijing , Taiwan , Singapore, Malaysia etc. Former president Uhuru Kenyatta too , without being shy or employing chameleon characters , he was pro East and that's how his foreign policy was shaped though, he was keeping warm relations with the West. He was able to ink a deal with Washington for direct from from Nairobi to New York.

Within this Kenya Kwanza Alliance goverment , you cannot tell how they are shaping their foreign policy. Is it East or West? I can't tell. Why is this administration shy to pronounce itself on whether, they are shaping their foreign policy towards the West or East. International relations , there is no being neutral. You are either pro Russia , China , UK or US. There is no , ooh , we are shaping our foreign policy towards both West and East since , we are looking on both parties because, they are of interest for us as a Country. It is high time President Ruto to show the Country direction as to where is he heading as far as his foreign policy is concerned. If it is West , let him come straight with it. If it is East , the same. Remaining lukewarm on this sensitive issue will only make us be in a very precarious situation. If it China , it will reverse its foreign policy on Kenya and tighten things on us. If it is US , it will not entertain a goverment that is running like a headless chicken in as far its relationship with it is concerned. Let step on either of the sides with both feet's. But from the look of things , Kenya is going West and with this in mind , IMF and WB will control our Country like marionettes. The Wet interferes with your internal affairs and sovereignty something that the East don't do. Tough times ahead.