Biden to designate Kenya a major non-NATO ally

President Biden announces intent to name Kenya a major non-NATO ally to strengthen military and diplomatic ties amid global competition.

U.S. President Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet on May 23 for his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto, unveiling plans during a lavish state visit to name Kenya a major non-NATO ally as Washington competes for influence on the continent against Moscow and Beijing.

Kenya will become the first sub-Saharan African nation to receive the designation, which is currently held by another 18 countries including Ukraine and boosts military and diplomatic links, although without a formal security pact.

Mr. Ruto’s visit comes as the United States and ally France are on the back foot in Africa, where massive Chinese investments and aggressive use by Russia of shadowy paramilitary groups are changing the geopolitical balance.

Greeting Mr. Ruto earlier in front of a colourful honour guard on the White House South Lawn,Mr. Biden emphasized that the two countries are “united by the same democratic values.”

“We are stronger and the world is safer when Kenya and the United States work together,” he said. He hailed the East African nation's role in fighting the Islamic State extremist group and Al-Shabaab jihadists in neighboring Somalia.

Mr. Ruto, who underlined Kenya's democratic record, said he would discuss climate change, debt distress and East African security with the American president. "I am confident, Mr. President, that the partnership of the United States and Kenya will give us the solutions that the world so seriously needs," he said.

The leaders, in a joint statement, said that Mr. Biden "announced his intent to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally." "This is a powerful symbol of the close relationship our two countries share," the leaders said in the statement.