Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei now says
that Kenyans should not get too excited that the United States is set to review
the Non-NATO ally status awarded to it by the President Joe Biden
administration.
While responding to an X post by Senior Counsel Paul Muite
on takeaways he had listed from the Bill, Sing’Oei insisted that the issues
raised would be addressed by the US Congress.
He said this would be done by considering the country’s independence
and its interests.
“No need to be too excited SC @Paul_Muite. The issues
canvassed in the congressional bill will be comprehensively addressed, taking
into account Kenya’s sovereignty and interests,” the PS said.
Muite had listed the relationship of those in power in the Government
of Kenya with Sudan’s RSF, sale of guns and gold, abductions and extrajudicial
executions, corruption in Chinese/Kenya projects and a review of Kenya’s
Non-NATO membership, as some of the issues raised in the Congressional Bill.
The lawyer termed it a “Massive” thing.
Kenya was granted the Non-NATO ally status just over a year
ago, in June last year.
The US Senate received a bill sponsored by James Risch to
actualise the change, signalling growing scrutiny over Nairobi’s geopolitical
alignments and security partnerships.
The review, mandated by newly proposed legislation,
underscores Washington’s unease with Kenya’s deepening ties with US
adversaries—including China, Russia and Iran.
Risch is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations.
The Trump administration has also raised concerns over human
rights abuses and financial transparency by President William Ruto's
administration.
“Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of
Defense, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of National
Intelligence, shall commence a review of the major non-NATO status of Kenya,
conferred on June 24, 2024,” the bill reads in part.
The Senator had in May warned that the ties with Kenya would
be reviewed, citing the country’s ties with China, which he said were
troubling.
“Widened diplomacy with America’s greatest competitor is not
an alliance – it is a risk for the US to assess,” he said then.
As such, the US seeks, through the bill, to assess Kenya’s
military and economic relationships with China, Russia and Iran, including
arms deals, training programmes and joint activities since mid-last year.
Of particular concern is China’s Belt and Road Initiative,
for which Kenya is a key strategic partner in its endeavours to expand its
infrastructure footprint.
Among the flagship projects under the BRI are the
Mombasa-Naivasha standard-gauge railway and associated upgrades of Mombasa
ports and other inland cargo handling infrastructure.
The US seeks to assess “trade and investment relationship of
Kenya with the PRC, including BRI, bilateral debt and commercial ties.”
China is also credited with the Nairobi Expressway, which is
hailed for shortening the commute between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
and the Nairobi central business district.
