Kenya reaffirms strong US partnership, dismisses concerns of shifting allegiance over China ties
Koech invited Senator Risch and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to visit Kenya, engage with its people, and witness firsthand the clarity with which Kenya defines its future.
Kenya has dismissed US concerns over its deepening ties with China, insisting that it is not shifting allegiance but rather expanding its global diplomatic footprint.
In a letter addressed to the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, dated May 19, 2025, the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee Nelson Koech responded to remarks made during a May 13 US Senate hearing that questioned Kenya’s current foreign policy direction.
“Your framing of Kenya’s current foreign policy posture, particularly in relation to China, appears to overlook the depth, consistency and achievements of the US-Kenya partnership,” Koech wrote.
“I believe it is necessary to remind ourselves of the broader and richer context of this relationship.”
Koech emphasised that Kenya remains a strategic and trusted partner of the United States, noting its designation as a major non-NATO ally, one of only a few in Africa, a status earned through decades of cooperation and sacrifice.
He highlighted Kenya’s joint efforts with the US in counterterrorism, regional peacekeeping, and diplomacy, including ongoing operations in Somalia and leadership in the Haiti Multinational Security Support Mission.
“Our partnership has extended well beyond security. Through PEPFAR, the United States has saved and transformed millions of Kenyan lives. Kenya is a flagship country in this global health success story. In education and research, American institutions like the CDC and USAID have partnered with our universities, hospitals, and NGOs to build lasting capacity. US firms such as Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola, General Electric, and IBM continue to invest and thrive in Kenya,” Koech said.
He also mentioned ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between Kenya and the United States, noting it would be the first of its kind between the US and a sub-Saharan African country. Koech recalled the peaceful 2022 Kenyan elections, which benefited from US technical and diplomatic support.
Responding directly to concerns about Kenya’s growing relationship with China, Koech clarified that President William Ruto’s remarks about Kenya and China as “co-architects of a new world order” should be understood as an assertion of Africa’s right to shape its future, not a pivot in allegiance.
“Kenya is calling for a more just global system, one where Africa contributes meaningfully to international governance and economic policy,” Koech said.
He drew parallels to US President Donald Trump’s calls for reform within global institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation.
“This aspiration mirrors President Trump’s own push for reform within global institutions. From the United Nations to the World Trade Organisation, his administration consistently questioned outdated structures and demanded fairer terms for American interests. Kenya is asking for the same, not to dismantle multilateralism, but to rebuild it on principles of equity and shared responsibility,’ he said.
On matters of global concern, Koech said Kenya shares many US priorities, particularly on climate and trade.
“Like many in the United States, Kenya is concerned about how current global climate frameworks impact development. We seek climate justice, transitions that are not punitive but enabling, financed, and attuned to the realities of the Global South,” he said.
“We also join the call for reform in global trade. We advocate for rules that support value addition, industrial growth, and fair competition. These are not anti-Western positions; they are pro-African positions that align with the very spirit of reform once championed by President Trump.”
Koech urged a respectful reassessment of Kenya’s foreign policy, grounded in mutual benefit and sovereignty.
“If there is a reassessment to be made, then let it be one that recognises sovereignty, agency, and mutual benefit. Kenya is not walking away from the United States. We are widening our diplomatic space, as every nation has the right to do.”
He invited Senator Risch and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to visit Kenya, engage with its people, and witness firsthand the clarity with which Kenya defines its future.
“Kenya is not being pulled. Kenya is rising,” Koech said.
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