Kenya could lose its non-NATO ally status, granted by the United States, if a bill proposed by the US senator James E. Risch is approved.
Senator Risch, a senior Republican and chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has proposed a bill to initiate a review of Kenya’s designation as a major non-NATO ally.
This comes barely a year after President Joe Biden conferred the designation to Kenya, making it the first sub-Saharan African nation to achieve the status.
This reconsideration, prompted by a provision in the 2026 US defense bill, is primarily a response to Kenya’s growing economic and diplomatic ties with China, Iran, and Russia. Also, concerns have been raised over Kenya’s alleged links to groups such as al-Shabaab and Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces.
Speaking in April 2025 in his last visit to Beijing, Kenyan President William Ruto declared that Kenya and China are “co-architects of a new world order.” The statement sparked concern from the US, with officials viewing it as a potential shift in Kenya’s foreign allegiance toward China.
Senator Risch openly criticized President Ruto’s visit to China and suggested that relying on leaders who openly embrace Beijing could be detrimental to US interests.
The US now wants to assess the extent of Kenya’s ties to its rivals, particularly Kenya’s participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its bilateral debt and commercial relationships.
The non-NATO ally status provides members with significant privileges, including access to advanced US military technology, opportunities for cooperative research and development projects, and the ability to stockpile US war reserves.
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