Foreign Policy Mashinani Launches in Kisumu
Kisumu City, often referred to as the Blue and White City today became the heartbeat of Kenya’s evolving diplomacy when the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs (MFDA) commenced public sensitisation exercise for the Foreign Policy Mashinani initiative, a landmark programme bringing Kenya’s foreign policy to county level for the first time.
The outreach scheduled to be officially launched tomorrow at the Mama Grace Onyango Cultural Centre will open a new chapter in people-centred diplomacy, turning abstract policy into real conversations about livelihoods, investment, and opportunity.
While meeting various Kisumu County officials including the Regional County Commissioner Ms. Flora Mworoa, County government officials led by Deputy Governor William Owili and Women Representative Ms. Ruth Odinga, Ambassador Josphat Maikara, Director General at the Ministry speaking on behalf of the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Korir SingOei called Kisumu’s forum “a historic first interface between the Ministry, the county government, and the people.” He said the visiting Ministry officials were looking forward to learning and advancing together the region’s vast potentials.
The Director General observed that the dialogues will signify a shift in Kenya’s diplomatic thinking, from centralised decision-making to inclusive engagement with county governments as espoused under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) where foreign policy is envisioned as a tool to open local economies for global partnerships that benefit the citizens.
Ambassador Lucy Kiruthu, explained the vision behind the programme.
“Foreign policy is no longer the preserve of the Executive, but instead, counties are co-creators and co-implementers of Kenya’s diplomacy. What happens abroad must make sense to the farmer, the fisherfolk as well as the youth seeking opportunity at home,” She stated
Amb. Kiruthu who heads the Policy directorate at the ministry noted that Kenya’s diplomacy remained most visible through presidential engagements abroad, which has often continued to raise questions among citizens. “Each international trip by the President opens markets, attracts investors, and deepens cooperation that eventually trickles down to the counties,” this Amb. Kiruthu highlights is the conversation that seeks to help citizens understand the actualisation of foreign policy.
Kisumu, she added, was chosen as the pilot county because of its strategic position as aligned to the thematic area of Ocean and Blue economy diplomacy, with untapped industrial and tourism potential as well as its border proximity with Uganda and Tanzania.
Amb. Hellen Gichuhi, Secretary for Diaspora and Welfare Affairs, described the diaspora as Kenya’s 47th county, contributing the largest share of foreign-exchange inflows (Kshs. 4.6 billion). She emphasized that the State Department for Diaspora Affairs remains committed to ensuring safe migration, protection of migrant workers, and structured diaspora investment.
“Our focus is on ensuring that migration is protected, ethical, and beneficial to all. We are also mapping investment opportunities for Kenyans abroad and encouraging them to partner directly with counties through cooperative ventures, medical camps, and skills-transfer programmes,” she informed the various county officials.
Amb. Gichuhi reiterated that the public sensitisation exercise was aimed to creating stronger awareness at the grassroots level in order to prevent human trafficking, exploitative recruitment, advise against unregulated remittances, while encouraging county governments to partner to establish information centres for prospective migrant workers.
On his part, Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr Mathew Owili while welcoming the team on behalf of Governor Professor Anyang Nyongo stated the outreach was long overdue. He commended the establishment of the County Liaison Directorate at the Ministry noting that while counties often interacted with international visitors including foreign diplomats, they could now rely on the Office for a structured framework for foreign affairs coordination.
Dr. Owili informed the visiting officials that the blue economy, cross-border trade, and industrialisation remained central to the growth of the Lake side counties, emphasising that the engagement with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs had the potential of aligning local priorities with national diplomacy.
While commending the Ministry for translating the Foreign Policy document into Kiswahili and distributing it via QR codes to the public, describing it as a demonstration of transparency and inclusion, the County officials are also proposing the establishment of a Foreign Affairs Desk at the county level to manage partnerships and investor relations.
On partnerships set to drive Kenya’s global agenda, the ministry official had thought provoking engagements with officials from various agencies. At the Kenya Shipyards Limited (KSL), officials showcased opportunities in shipbuilding, marine transport, and renewable energy, while highlighting an array of capacity-building programmes to be offered in collaboration with the Tom Mboya University. At the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), officials outlined ongoing aquaculture, flood-mitigation, and catchment-rehabilitation projects while calling for joint planning with MFA to attract investors for climate-smart farming and inland fisheries. At the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Kisumu Chapter, the business leaders urged stronger collaboration between business associations and MFA to attract foreign direct investment, support women-led enterprises, and combat illicit financial flows that undermine legitimate trade.
The sessions with a section of the Kisumu County officials underscored Kisumu’s unique potential as a blue-economy hub with unexplored investment opportunities in the areas of ship building and repair, marine tourism, transport, fish processing and aquaculture, and other maritime innovations.
The three-day Kisumu County engagement is expected to set the stage for similar forums in other counties as the Ministry continues to roll out the Foreign Policy Mashinani initiative nationwide. The goal is to ensure that every Kenyan appreciates that diplomacy is no longer distant or abstract, but a living process that shapes jobs, trade, culture, and security. According to Amb. Kiruthu, Kisumu is only the beginning, it is the springboard for re-imagining diplomacy through local innovation with our aim being to make diplomacy felt, lived, and experienced by every Kenyan.