President William Ruto's administration has secretly paid over Ksh300 million to a Washington D.C. firm founded by Carlos Trujillo, an ally of US President Donald Trump, to improve Kenya's image in the US. The deal, revealed by the US Department of Justice, aims to secure favorable trade terms and address Kenya's recent non-NATO status.

• Kenya will pay Ksh23 million (USD 175,000) monthly for lobbying services.
• The firm, CONTINENTAL STRATEGY LLC, will work to preserve Kenya's trade privileges, particularly concerning the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
• The agreement, effective August 6, is set to expire on October 31, 2026, and renews automatically monthly.