President Biden seeks to designate Kenya as non-NATO ally

In a powerful symbol of the close relations between the US and Kenya, President Joe Biden has announced his intention to designate Kenya as a non-NATO ally.

The historic move by Biden marks a significant milestone as Kenya will become the first sub-Saharan African nation to receive this status.

It also underlines the critical role Kenya plays towards peace and stability in the East Africa region.

"Today President Biden is informing Congress he intends to designate Kenya as a major Non-NATO ally," the White House said in a statement.

If Congress does not object within 30 days, the designation becomes effective.

The White House said this prestigious designation is granted by the US to countries with which it maintains close and strategic military and defence relationships.

"The US holds deep respect for Kenya’s substantial contributions to global peace and security," it said.

For decades, strong security cooperation between the two nations has played a pivotal role in maintaining stability in East Africa and beyond.

NATO which stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation currently has 32 member countries, called NATO allies.

They are sovereign states that come together through to discuss political and security issues and make collective decisions by consensus.

It was established on April 4, 1949, through the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty (Washington Treaty) by 12 founding members.

This decision is part of the successes that President William Ruto has achieved during his ongoing state visit to the US.

It only reinforces the strategic importance of the US-Kenya relationship but also highlights the significant role Kenya plays in global security initiatives.

The status for designation is provided for under US law and offered to foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defence trade and security cooperation.

The designation demonstrates the deep respect for the friendship of the countries to which it is extended.

Countries under this status receive various military and financial advantages but do not have the mutual defence commitments that NATO members have under Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

They are also eligible for loans of material, supplies, or equipment for cooperative research, development, testing, or evaluation purposes.

It is also eligible as a location for US-owned War Reserve Stockpiles to be placed on its territory outside of US military facilities.

Countries can enter into agreements with the US for the cooperative furnishing of training on a bilateral or multilateral basis, if the financial arrangements are reciprocal and provide for reimbursement of all US direct costs.

Eligible for priority delivery of Excess Defense Articles transferred under section 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act (if located on the southern or south-eastern flank of NATO) is also guaranteed including that for consideration to purchase depleted uranium ammunition.

This enduring partnership extends to numerous critical areas, including international peacekeeping, peace negotiations, security governance, refugee inclusion, and cooperation in Cybersecurity.

The US-Kenya alliance is crucial in international efforts to combat terrorist organizations such as al-Shabaab and ISIS elements based in the region.

Furthermore, the US remains steadfast in its support of Kenya’s leadership in the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti, providing essential security assistance to the Haitian people.

Currently, 18 countries are designated as non-NATO allies.

They are Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand, and Tunisia.