Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a significant shift in its protocol for direct engagements between international organizations and government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
In a bid to improve efficiency and speed up the government’s interactions with foreign agencies, the Cabinet Secretary, Alfred Mutua, has allowed foreign organizations to bypass his office and directly engage with MDAs.
However, this new protocol comes with a caveat as Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s office will be responsible for gate-keeping direct engagements between international organizations and MDAs, especially those involving more than one ministry.
The move has been praised by Foreign Affairs experts as a rethinking of the country’s foreign policy, and it is hoped that it will lead to more fruitful engagements between the government and foreign agencies, resulting in increased investment and development opportunities for Kenya.
Mutua has expressed optimism that the new protocol will lead to more efficiency in handling business and will make it easier and faster for the government to interact with international organizations for the benefit of the country.
However, experts caution that the government will need to keep a close eye on all engagements to avoid any unfavorable outcomes.
They advise that a lot of monitoring would be required to ensure that no bad deals are made, and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should still be notified of all engagements.
The success of this initiative will depend on a thorough monitoring system to ensure transparency and accountability.
It remains to be seen how effective the new protocol will be in practice and how it will be implemented.
Nevertheless, this significant shift is expected to have a significant impact on Kenya’s foreign policy and its relations with international organizations.
It is hoped that it will lead to a streamlined and more efficient process for engaging with foreign agencies, resulting in a boost to the country’s economic and social development.
