Kenya’s Ruto turns to Africa’s spy chiefs to break AU reform deadlock

Delegates at the spy chiefs’ Mashariki Cooperation Conference in Diani, Kenya on April 10, 2026

Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group

Kenya’s President William Ruto is turning to African intelligence chiefs to identify the sources of resistance to African Union reforms, opting for an unconventional route to reshape how the bloc operates.

His remarks on Friday came at a closing dinner for the Mashariki Cooperation Conference in Diani, coastal Kwale County, where intelligence leaders met to discuss geopolitical security challenges.