On Thursday, Kenya’s President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Chebet were welcomed for a three-day state visit to the U.S., marking 60 years of the official U.S. and Kenya partnership. The last time an African leader had a state visit, they were welcomed by former President George W. Bush in 2008.
A Major non-NATO Ally benefits international partners in certain areas of defense trade and security cooperation. Currently, there are 18 countries with the MNNA designation, and Kenya would be the first sub-Saharan African nation to receive the appointment.
Biden and Ruto were set to meet in the Oval Office and discuss topics such as technology cooperation, trade and debt relief. The decision to appoint Kenya as an MNNA is backed by decisions to invest in green energy and health manufacturing. In 2022, President Biden held nearly 50 leaders at the U.S. African Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. with a key effort to improve U.S. ties with African countries, in response to the ongoing investment from countries such as China and Russia.
