US President Joe Biden would grant Kenya major non-NATO ally status during the African leader’s visit, Politico reported.
Kenya will be the first sub-Saharan country to receive major non-NATO ally status. This will allow the recipient country to acquire more advanced weaponry from the United States and engage in closer security co-operation.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s new status could give Washington greater influence in East Africa. Moreover, the two countries already have a long-standing relationship in the fight against terrorism, working together to combat the al-Shabaab terrorist group. Kenya is also a member of the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group, a coalition of some 50 countries. J. Peter Pham, a former top African official in the Trump administration, stated:
If any country in Africa that does not already have the status has a prima facie case for being designated a major non-NATO ally, it is Kenya.
The growing ties between Washington and Nairobi come amid the Biden administration’s concerns about China’s growing influence on the African continent, as well as Russia’s ties to Kenya. Judd Devermont, who until this year led Africa work at Biden’s National Security Council, noted:
Upgrading how we partner with Africa has been an important through line during our administration.
The White House released a strategy for sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 and held a summit of US and African leaders in December of that year.
Benefit for two countries
Kenyan President William Ruto is in Washington for three days to meet with Biden and discuss numerous economic and security issues. Included in the discussions is the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to curb gang violence in Haiti. The new status, which is largely symbolic, could provide more legitimacy to Kenya’s mission, experts say.
As a result, Kenya will become the 19th country to be named a major non-NATO ally. Biden previously bestowed the title on Qatar in March 2022. Three other countries on the African continent — Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia — have already been granted the status.
According to the treaty, the US is not obliged to come to the defence of such a country, as it would with actual NATO allies. However, the status, according to the State Department, provides “certain benefits in the areas of defence trade and security co-operation.” Earlier, Ukraine has long struggled to obtain the major non-NATO ally status.
