Diplomacy is not luxury paid for by Kenyans

President William Ruto and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. [PCS]

There is nothing inherently wrong with Kenya taking its place on the global stage since international diplomacy matters. The United Nations General Assembly provides an important platform for countries to advance their interests, attract investment, negotiate partnerships and influence global policy.

But diplomacy must not be an excuse for extravagance. The revelations surrounding Kenya’s delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York raise uncomfortable questions about how public resources are being spent at a time when millions of Kenyans are struggling with the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services.

According to the report, the delegation included seven Cabinet Secretaries and a large contingent of other officials. Estimates from insiders reportedly put the cost of the trip at about Sh500 million, while accommodation alone for some delegates was said to run into hundreds of dollars per night.

The issue is not simply how much Kenya spends on international engagements. It is whether every shilling spent can withstand public scrutiny. Government officials travelling abroad on official business must remember that the money financing their trips comes from taxpayers.

Those taxpayers include parents struggling to pay school fees, patients waiting for medicine in public hospitals, farmers seeking affordable inputs and young people searching desperately for jobs. That is why the absence of some Cabinet Secretaries from Senate proceedings while they were in New York is troubling.

The Constitution requires Cabinet Secretaries to appear before Parliament when required to answer questions concerning their ministries. International engagements cannot become a convenient escape from domestic accountability.

There is also a troubling contradiction when the Government urges citizens to accept austerity while public officials appear to enjoy expansive travel and accommodation arrangements.

The government may legitimately argue that the New York meetings generated investment opportunities, diplomatic partnerships and international agreements. Indeed, the reported engagements included discussions on investment, infrastructure, technology, energy and regional cooperation.

But such benefits must be demonstrated, not merely announced. Kenyans deserve a transparent account of who travelled, why each person was required, how much was spent on flights, accommodation, allowances and logistics, and what measurable outcomes resulted from the visit.

The government should publish a comprehensive expenditure statement for the UNGA trip. Parliament, particularly its oversight committees, should scrutinise the figures without fear or favour.

This is not an argument against international diplomacy but an argument for responsible diplomacy.

Kenya cannot afford a culture in which official travel becomes an entitlement rather than a carefully justified public investment.

Every delegation should be lean, necessary and guided by measurable objectives.

At a time of budget constraints and competing national priorities, government must demonstrate that public money follows public need.