The Kenyan government is under mounting pressure from the United States over its close ties with China. Influential lawmakers in Washington are furious over comments made by President William Ruto during a visit to Beijing earlier this year, where he said Kenya and China will be the “architects of a new world order.”
The remark was particularly upsetting for some in Washington, given Kenya’s role as a Major Non-NATO Ally.
Aggrey Mutambo, Africa editor at the Nation newspaper, joins Eric & Cobus from Nairobi to discuss how the Kenyan government is responding and what it’s doing to maintain stable ties with both major powers.
Show Notes:
- The Nation: Kenya’s tight spot in Washington by David Monda
- The Citizen: U.S. Senator proposes review of Kenya’s non-NATO ally status by Brian Kimani
- The Kenyan Wall Street: Why the US Wants to Review its Relations with Kenya by Morris Kiruga
About Aggrey Mutambo:
Aggrey Mutambo writes for the Nation on Kenya’s Foreign Relations and diplomatic affairs, as well as regional humanitarian issues. Occasionally, he writes on politics in Kenya. He studied communication and media technology at Maseno University and joined the Nation Media Group upon graduation in 2009. In 2010, he went through the Nation Media Group journalism training programme, the Media Lab. He holds a Masters degree in Diplomacy from the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies.
