Kenya defends hiring of U.S. lobbying firm as strategic investment » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 28 – The government has dismissed reports suggesting irregularities in its decision to hire a U.S.-based lobbying firm, saying the deal is both legal and standard practice for governments across the world.

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi said Thursday that the engagement is meant to push Kenya’s trade, investment, and security agenda in Washington, where competition for influence is “intense and highly structured.”

He explained that the contract complies with Kenyan law and the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires full public disclosure of such agreements.

“Just as one media outlet accessed these records to create its headline story, so too can any other interested parties freely obtain these publicly available documents,” the statement noted.

Kenya says the lobby firm will focus on securing favorable trade deals with the U.S. after the expiry of AGOA, and on rallying support for Kenya’s leadership of the Haiti security mission.

The government also sees the move as a way to attract investment, promote tourism, and strengthen ties with the large Kenyan diaspora in America.

Mudavadi stressed that hiring lobby firms is not new, noting that every Kenyan administration since independence has done the same.

“This initiative does not replace conventional diplomacy but complements it by providing additional channels to engage stakeholders in a complex policy environment,” he said.

The government insisted the contract is transparent, not extravagant, and a “strategic investment with guaranteed returns” that will directly benefit Kenyans.

The government had faced criticism after it contracted Continental Strategy LLC, to provide government relations and advocacy services in preparation for President William Ruto’s upcoming state visit to the United States, where he is expected to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.