Biden Set To Designate Kenya as a Major non-Nato Ally
During Kenyan President William Ruto’s three-day state visit to the United States, President Joe Biden is set to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally.
This move would mark Kenya as the first sub-Saharan African nation to receive this status, highlighting Washington’s intention to strengthen its ties with the East African country, which has also historically maintained close relations with Russia and China.
The announcement is set to make Kenya only the 4th African country with this designation, after Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
On Wednesday, Biden welcomed Ruto to the White House, where they participated in a meeting with business executives. Biden mentioned his plans to visit Africa in February, post the U.S. presidential election. This of course is conditioned on him winning a second term as US president later this November.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet again in the Oval Office on Thursday, followed by a joint news conference and a state dinner. Senior administration officials indicated that their discussions would cover a broad spectrum of topics, including trade, debt relief, and international issues concerning Haiti, Ukraine, and Sudan.
