Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - President William Ruto’s administration has reportedly paid more than Ksh300 million to a Washington-based lobbying firm linked to former U.S President Donald Trump’s ally, Carlos Trujillo, in a bid to polish Ruto’s image in the U.S capital.
According to filings by the U.S. Department of Justice dated
August 8th, Kenya entered into a deal with Continental Strategy LLC,
a firm founded by Trujillo, a former U.S ambassador and influential Republican
insider.
The contract, signed on August 6th, 2025,
outlines lobbying and Government relations services aimed at securing favorable
terms for Kenya as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) faces expiry
and amid Nairobi’s delicate diplomatic balancing between Washington and
Beijing.
The filings reveal that Kenya will pay a monthly retainer of
USD 175,000 (approximately Ksh23 million), amounting to more than Ksh300
million annually.
The payments cover lobbying, government relations, and
related travel and registration costs, but exclude regular office overheads.
The contract runs until October 31st, 2026, and
is renewable monthly unless terminated with 30 days’ notice.
While the documents do not disclose specific deliverables,
Continental Strategy is expected to leverage Trujillo’s political networks to
preserve Kenya’s trade privileges under AGOA, counter negative perceptions of
Ruto’s administration, and secure stronger ties with Republican policymakers.
“The Firm agrees to provide government relations services to
the Client.”
“The Client’s duty is to provide the Firm with information
necessary to advance objectives and ensure timely payment,” the contract
states.
The United States Government
has expressed concern over what it describes as a deterioration in Kenya’s human
rights situation, citing reports of unlawful killings, disappearances, torture,
and restrictions on media freedoms.
President William Ruto is
scheduled to tour the United States next month for the 80th session of the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, marking his first trip to
the U.S under President Donald Trump’s administration.
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