President William Ruto with Chinese President Xi Jinping
U.S. senators have questioned Kenya’s loyalty following President William Ruto’s recent trip to China.
Speaking on Tuesday, Senator Jim Risch, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that the US government should exercise restraint with African nations, such as Kenya, that maintain “troubling” ties with China.
Risch described President Ruto’s remarks in China as shocking, noting that they came barely a year after Kenya was designated a US non-NATO ally.
“Just last month, President Ruto declared that Kenya, a major non-NATO ally, and China are ‘co-architects of a new world order.’ That’s not just alignment to China; it’s allegiance.
“Relying on leaders who embrace Beijing so openly is an error. It’s time to reassess our relationship with Kenya and others who forge tight bonds with China,” he stated.
Risch also argued that U.S. foreign policy in Africa should shift its focus from individual leaders to strengthening institutions, bolstering private sector links, and empowering the region’s young, dynamic populations.
Speaking at Peking University in Beijing in April, President Ruto highlighted the need for a new global order that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable, referring to the current system as “broken, dysfunctional, and no longer fit for purpose.
The Head of State also stated that Nairobi and Beijing are not just trade partners but “co-architects of a new world order.”
“Kenya and China are not merely trade partners; we are co-architects of a new world order—one that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable… This visit, the first African visit to China this year, mirrors my 2024 visit to the United States, the first African state visit there in 15 years. Perhaps symbolically, Kenya can serve as a bridge between East and West, North and South, in an era of deepening geopolitical tensions,” Ruto said.
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