President Donald Trump’s top diplomat is expected to visit Kenya amid growing concerns in Washington that President William Ruto is gravitating towards China.
Diplomatic sources have told the Star that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Kenya after the initial trip in April was cancelled.
When reached for comment, the Foreign Affairs ministry confirmed there have been plans but said the date is not confirmed.
The trip comes at time the US and China are jostling for Kenya, a key anchor state in the region and the continent.
Rubio was initially scheduled to visit Kenya — and Ethiopia — when Ruto departed for Beijing for a state visit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.
Since then, Nairobi has continued to intensify its ties with Beijing.
Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, who had accompanied Ruto for the state visit, was back in Beijing on June 11 for the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of Follow-Up Actions from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac).
Mudavadi, who is also responsible for the Foreign Affairs docket, held talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi.
During the meeting, China elevated its bilateral ties with Kenya to an “All-Weather Kenya-China Community with a Shared Future for the New Era”.
Mudavadi said the elevation was a landmark development that speaks to the strength, trust and shared vision underpinning the two states’ partnership.
He added that Kenya had entrenched the One-China policy — the number 1 foreign policy agenda for Beijing — in the revised Kenya Foreign Policy document.
Mudavadi also attended the opening of the Fourth Session of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (Caete) in Changsha, Hunan Province.
While there, he said Kenya is well-positioned at the heart of the evolving economic relationship between China and Africa.
The ties present a critical chance to recalibrate bilateral trade relations, with an eye on balance, value addition and long-term sustainability, he said.
Mudavadi’s visit to Beijing followed a sustained push by ranking US legislators, who called for a review of the diplomatic relations with Nairobi over the close Kenya-China ties.
Twice, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch questioned the close China-Kenya ties, particularly with its US Major Non-NATO Ally designation.
“Kenya plays a vital role in regional counterterrorism and stability. But as our newest Major Non-NATO Ally, Kenya's ties with China are troubling,” Senator Risch said.
"Widened diplomacy with America's greatest competitor is not an alliance, it’s a risk for the US to assess”.
In the midst of the push and pull, Kenya co-hosted the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Conference (ACHOD25) with the US, a meeting that had undertones of US-China rivalry on the continent.
Commander of the US Africa Command and Marine Corps General Michael Langley told a media briefing that his second charge from Defence Secretary Hegseth is to confront the military ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party on the Africa continent.
“So while the US works to build transparency and respectful partnerships, China continues to pursue access to Africa’s resources, often ignoring long-term sustainability,” Gen Langley said.
Foreign policy analysts say Ruto is under pressure to deliver on his campaign promises as domestic pressure mounts on his administration at a time the country is facing cash constraints.
Subsequently, the President has been forced to look East despite his anti-China and loans rhetoric in the 2022 election campaigns.
China-Africa expert Dr Adhere Cavince says Beijing remains the most promising development partner for Kenya, especially in putting together infrastructure that can reboot economic activities in Kenya.
“China has demonstrated willingness to put capital and technology in partner countries like Kenya,” he said.
“The rapid infrastructure modernisation under President Uhuru Kenyatta led to Kenya emerging as one of the most successful countries in BRI implementation.
“Extension of the SGR and the Mau summit road will dramatically enhance access to western Kenya, foster sustainability of the railway and mobility of people and goods.”
Notably, during the recent visit to Beijing, Mudavadi underscored the importance of concluding discussions on financial cooperation before the end of this month as a critical step forward.
Dr Cavince added that it makes economic sense to work with Chinese partners given their “incredible” edge in both hard and soft infrastructure construction.
