Kenyan President William Ruto had a three-day state visit this week; U.S. President Joe Biden is anticipated to declare Kenya a key non-NATO ally. Kenya, which has traditionally maintained close ties with China and Russia, would be the first nation in sub-Saharan Africa to obtain the designation, indicating Washington’s desire to strengthen ties with the East African nation.
Following the U.S. presidential election in February, Biden informed reporters he would be traveling to Africa after welcoming Ruto to the White House for a meeting with business CEOs. The two leaders will reconvene in the Oval Office on Thursday following a joint press conference and a state supper.
According to senior administration officials, Biden and Ruto will discuss a variety of topics during their meeting, including trade, debt relief, and the future of Sudan, Haiti, and other regions.
Biden said on Wednesday that he and Ruto will begin a new phase of bilateral technological collaboration between their two nations, focusing on semiconductors, AI, and cyber security. He made no reference to the security classification.
Additionally, the United States will declare new investments totaling $250 million through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), bringing the finance agency’s portfolio in Kenya to over $1 billion, according to DFC.
According to a U.S. official, both nations are dedicated to making sure technology is created and used in a way that promotes accountability, transparency, and human rights. According to the official, Kenya has developed into “an engine for innovation,” similar to the United States. She cited the $1 billion “Silicon Savannah” technological area, which is home to over 200 businesses in a variety of industries, including as e-commerce, sustainable energy, microelectronics, and financial technology.
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According to an administration official, Washington also intends to establish new semiconductor cooperation with Kenya and is collaborating with Congress to make Kenya the first nation in Africa to get financing under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
Kenya is getting ready to send troops to Haiti as part of a force commanded by the United Nations that is deploying to address the security situation in the Caribbean. Biden has designated Kenya an important non-NATO partner. The United States bestows this distinction to close non-NATO allies strategically collaborating with the U.S. military.
At a time when South Africa was pursuing its own more autonomous foreign policy, Kenya has shown to be a stable and trusted partner for the United States, according to Gyude Moore, head of the Africa Initiative at the Center for Global Development. The move would codify a change that has seen Kenya “move more squarely into a U.S. orbit” in recent years, including stronger collaboration on Somalia, according to Cameron Hudson, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It’s really important. It’s unique to sub-Saharan Africa,” he declared.
