US Senate questions Kenya’s loyalty after Ruto China trip

Lawmakers in the United States Senate are questioning Kenya’s loyalty to America following President William Ruto’s recent trip to China.

Against the backdrop of the U.S.-China trade war and larger East-West tensions, Ruto last month visited the Asian country at the invitation of President Xi Jinping to discuss China’s investment in Kenya's infrastructural projects, trade relations, and regional peace.

In a speech in the Chinese capital, Ruto branded Nairobi and Beijing not just trade partners but “co-architects of a new world order.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Jim Risch, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said America should exercise restraint with African nations like Kenya which maintain “troubling” ties with China.

Senator Risch especially took an issue with Ruto’s Beijing speech, which came following his May 2024 trip to the United States where Washington designated Kenya as a major non-NATO ally.

“Just last month, President Ruto declared that Kenya, a major non-NATO ally, and China are ‘co-architects of a new world order.’ That’s not just alignment to China; it’s allegiance,” he told the committee.

“Relying on leaders who embrace Beijing so openly is an error. It’s time to reassess our relationship with Kenya and others who forge tight bonds with China.”

Ruto’s Washington trip last year during President Joe Biden’s tenure was historic and cemented Kenya’s status as one of the U.S.’s closest allies in Africa.

Being designated a major non-NATO ally meant Nairobi would have privileged access to sophisticated military equipment, training, and loans to boost its defence spending.

The U.S. has for years conducted counterterrorism operations focused on Somalia in partnership with Kenya.

Additionally, during President Donald Trump’s first term, his administration engaged in talks with Kenya over a potential free trade agreement – a first for sub-Saharan Africa.

The talks have been renewed during his second term, following Trump’s tariffs on all imports to America and as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) nears expiry this September.

But Senator Risch says America’s efforts to engage with African states in tackling al-Shabaab and the Islamic State while boosting trade cannot be “soiled” with what he sees as the latter’s allegiance with China.

“They must be part of a broad strategic effort to protect American interests in Africa while also protecting the U.S. taxpayer’s pocketbook,” he said on Tuesday.

“That means being clear-eyed about our potential and existing partners in the region. In many cases, these governments are not wholly legitimate, which raises the question of whether engagement is worth the cost.”

Still, Risch argued there are African countries the U.S. can foster “meaningful engagement” with, “but only with sober judgment and clear-eyed realism.”

“We must stop building U.S. policy in Africa around individual leaders and instead focus on strengthening institutions, expanding private sector ties, and empowering the region’s young and dynamic populations,” he added.

China is Kenya's largest trading partner and the biggest source of imports. Kenya is, meanwhile, China's biggest trading partner in East Africa.

Since taking office in 2022, Ruto has maintained that Kenya is "neither facing east nor west" but is "facing forward" in its approach to foreign policy and economic partnerships.

He likened his April Beijing visit to his Washington trip last year, saying “Kenya can serve as a bridge between East and West, North and South, in an era of deepening geopolitical tensions.”