The list of 18 countries each designated as Major Non-Nato Ally of the US, has gone up with the inclusion of Kenya. This happened over the weekend as Kenya’s President William Ruto wrapped up a three-day visit to the US that included talks with President Joe Biden.
Biden described the move as the “fulfilment of years of collaboration. Our joint counterterrorism efforts have degraded ISIS and al-Shabab across East Africa … and our work together on Haiti is helping pave the way to reduce instability and insecurity,” he said at a White House briefing.
The designation makes Kenya eligible for loans of materials and equipment for research, development or testing; US-owned war reserve stockpiles can be stored on Kenyan soil and its military may even be able to buy depleted uranium ammunition; Kenyan firms can bid for US military repair and maintenance contracts.
The new designation does not guarantee any new weapons sales to Kenya or defence agreement.
The US reaffirmed support for a Kenya-led police force to be sent to Haiti and will provide $250 million financial support. The police team is being sent to stabilise the situation following government collapse and rampant gang violence.
Kenya is currently overseeing a peace deal in Ethiopia that could hopefully end two years of civil war centered in the northern Tigray region.
Key to this designation is what has been agreed upon by the two sides. They will push for a ceasefire in civil war torn Sudan and support antiterrorism efforts by the Somali authorities.
Kenya is the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to be designated Major Non-Nato Ally but that does not make it a Nato member, nor are the two sides committed to each other’s defence. But it opens the door to Nairobi buying military hardware and technologies from the US that would not otherwise be accessible.
