Ruto Heads to Japan as US Senate Questions Kenya’s Tilt to the East

Kenyan President William Ruto left for Japan on Tuesday to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), a trip that comes as Washington weighs Nairobi’s deepening ties with the East and considers stripping Kenya of its Major Non-NATO Ally status.

The three-day TICAD summit in Yokohama is expected to draw African leaders and development partners, with Japan seeking to counter Beijing’s dominance in infrastructure finance across the continent.

Ruto is pushing for fresh investment and concessional loans to ease Kenya’s debt burden and spur manufacturing.

His visit coincides with moves in the US Senate to review Kenya’s designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally, granted last year after a state visit to Washington.

Lawmakers have raised concerns about Nairobi’s growing cooperation with eastern partners, particularly China, and whether US defence and security support is being put at risk.

Kenya is the only sub-Saharan African country to hold the designation, which gives it access to military training, financing and defence trade benefits but does not guarantee mutual defence.

Senators backing the review argue the status should be reassessed if Kenya expands security or commercial ties with China and other eastern powers.

Kenya has relied heavily on Chinese loans over the past decade to fund infrastructure projects, including the $4.7 billion standard gauge railway linking Mombasa to Nairobi, which has strained public debt and become a lightning rod in domestic politics.

The borrowing has deepened Beijing’s economic footprint, fuelling US concerns over potential leverage in strategic sectors.

Ruto spoke by phone on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, discussing ways to deepen cooperation, including Kenya’s leadership of the international security mission in Haiti and new opportunities in trade and investment.

Nairobi remains a strategic anchor for Washington in East Africa, serving as a hub for counterterrorism operations against al Shabaab in Somalia, a base for US investment and technology projects, and a mediator in regional conflicts.

Analysts say the Senate debate, coupled with Ruto’s presence at TICAD, underlines the geopolitical balancing act facing Kenya as it seeks to secure financing from both the East and its Western partners while safeguarding its status as Washington’s most important ally in the region.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org