Lawmakers in the United States Senate are raising concerns about Kenya’s diplomatic alignment with the West following President William Ruto’s recent state visit to China, where he appeared to signal a shift in Nairobi’s foreign policy posture.
Ruto travelled to Beijing last month at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to strengthen bilateral ties around infrastructure investment, trade, and regional security. However, it was a statement made during his speech in the Chinese capital that has rattled Washington.
Describing the Kenya-China relationship, Ruto declared Nairobi and Beijing to be not just trade partners, but “co-architects of a new world order”, a phrase that US lawmakers have termed as an allegiance to China.
“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,” Senator Risch told the committee.
He added, “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.”
The senator’s remarks come less than a year after Kenya was designated a major non-NATO ally of the United States, during a historic visit by Ruto to Washington in May 2024—a designation meant to deepen defense and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
Kenya has traditionally enjoyed strong ties with the United States, particularly in the areas of trade, counterterrorism, and regional peace efforts.
However, its growing economic reliance on China—particularly for infrastructure loans and large-scale development projects—has long raised eyebrows in Western capitals.
Ruto’s apparent attempt to balance relations with both global powers is now being viewed by some in Washington as a tilt toward Beijing at a time when U.S.-China tensions are at their peak.
Neither the Kenyan government nor the U.S. State Department has issued an official response to Senator Risch’s comments.
