Double Standards? Kioni Exposes Ruto’s Hypocrisy in Attacking IMF While Sending Delegates to Beg
Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni has sharply criticised President William Ruto, accusing him of adopting a contradictory and hypocritical foreign policy stance during his recent state visit to China.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Kioni highlighted what he termed as glaring double standards in the President’s remarks against international financial institutions, particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while his administration simultaneously engages those very institutions in diplomatic and financial discussions.
Kioni took issue with President Ruto’s criticism of the IMF and the United States government, made publicly during a lecture at Peking University in Beijing.
In his address, President Ruto condemned the governance structures of both the IMF and the World Bank, asserting that they disproportionately favour wealthy nations and fail to adequately represent or serve the interests of developing countries, particularly in Africa.
“The current setup of these institutions,” President Ruto stated, “remains heavily skewed in favour of rich countries. Although the IMF and World Bank have evolved into key development finance institutions, their governance and power structures have not kept pace with the demands of equitable representation.”
He added that there is a need for “consequential reforms” to transform these institutions into “independent, apolitical global bodies insulated from the national interests of their shareholders.”
However, Kioni was quick to point out the apparent contradiction between the President’s public condemnation of these multilateral lenders and the ongoing diplomatic engagements being carried out by Kenyan officials.
At the very moment Ruto was criticising the IMF in China, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi was leading a high-level Kenyan delegation in Washington, D.C., to meet with IMF officials in a bid to secure continued financial support.
“He cannot be in China attacking the IMF and the United States, while at the same time sending his own Treasury Cabinet Secretary to engage with the same institutions,” Kioni asserted. “It is a textbook case of double standards. On one hand, the President presents himself as a pan-African reformist challenging global financial power imbalances, and on the other, his government is actively seeking assistance from those same institutions.”
Kioni underscored the importance of consistency in foreign policy, warning that conflicting messages risk undermining Kenya’s credibility and long-term strategic interests on the global stage.
“Our foreign policy must be coherent and carefully aligned,” he continued. “When the President speaks on behalf of the country, especially on a platform as significant as Peking University, he must ensure that his statements reflect a unified national position, not rhetoric that is later contradicted by his own administration’s actions.”
The former Ndaragwa Member of Parliament also warned that such inconsistencies could damage Kenya’s international reputation, suggesting that international partners may begin to view the country as unreliable or politically erratic.
Kioni’s remarks come on the heels of President Ruto’s additional comments criticizing the U.S. government, specifically the Trump administration, for allegedly taking sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The President argued that such actions contravened United Nations Security Council resolutions and eroded the multilateral framework meant to govern international conflicts.
Observers have noted that these statements may complicate Kenya’s diplomatic relations with key global partners, particularly at a time when the country is seeking debt restructuring, foreign investment, and enhanced bilateral cooperation.
“Such remarks may play well to a domestic audience or appeal to an emerging anti-West narrative in parts of Africa, but they could prove diplomatically costly,” Kioni warned. “Kenya must carefully balance its international relationships without alienating traditional allies.”
By highlighting the stark contrast between President Ruto’s public criticisms and the behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts being conducted by his own administration, Kioni painted a picture of a government sending mixed signals to the international community—a situation he insists must be addressed if Kenya is to maintain its standing as a serious and dependable global player.
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Double Standards? Kioni Exposes Ruto’s Hypocrisy in Attacking IMF While Sending Delegates to Beg
