Kenya says keenly watching Donald Trump’s actions before taking position
Since his swearing in yesterday, Trump has signed off an avalanche of executive orders some of which have a direct impact on Kenya.

The government says it will watching and analysing events in Washington following the return of President Donald Trump to the White House before deciding on the way forward.
Speaking in a Nairobi hotel, National Treasury Permanent Secretary James Muhati said, at the moment, Kenya is not in a position to comment on the pronouncements made by Trump during his inauguration, noting that has also “just heard about the pronouncements like everyone else during the inauguration.”
“Regarding the change of government in the US and the pronouncements that have been made by the new president is that what we are doing as a government together with our technical team will be watching and studying how things will be before giving the appropriate government stand soon because we just heard about the pronouncements like everyone else during the inauguration,” National Treasury Permanent Secretary James Muhati said during the launch of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Core and Non-Core Inflation Report.
Since his swearing in yesterday, Trump has signed off an avalanche of executive orders some of which have a direct impact on Kenya.
They include the freezing of foreign development assistance for 90 days to allow for a review, deportation of immigrants living illegally in the US and the withdrawal from the World Health Organisation and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Kamau Thugge, on his part, warned that some of Trump’s actions could have indirect impact on Kenya, citing the plan to new policy on immigration, which, he says, might slow down inflation in the US forcing the Federal Reserve to reduce the pace of lowering the interest rates.
“The issue of immigration will automatically affect the prices in the US and our concern is that implementing such policies will slow down the reduction of inflation in the US hence reducing the pace at which they will reduce the interest rates. If that happens the Federal Reserve System may also reduce the pace at which they will lower the interest rates,” the governor explained.
“If that happens, it has an indirect impact on Kenya because of the potential of capital flowing back to the US because interest rates will remain a bit more elevated than earlier expectations,” he added.
But, at the same time, he said Trump’s executive order declaring a national energy emergency with a view to actualise his “drill, baby, drill” mantra, which will greatly reduce global inflation.
“The new policy that we also need to analyse its impact is the issue of ‘drill baby drill’ because if that results in lower fuel prices then it may contribute to lower inflation in the US and the globe and that could be a positive for the global economy,” he said.
During his inauguration, Trump urged US oil and gas companies to ensure America’s energy security and economic prowess.
“We are a rich nation. It’s that liquid gold under our feet that will help us ensure that we keep things that way,” he said.
“America will be a manufacturing nation once again. We sit on the most oil and natural gas of any nation on earth, and we’re going to use it,” Trump added.