US President designates Kenya as major non-Nato ally

The United States Government has officially designated Kenya as major non-NATO ally.

The US President on Monday wrote a memorandum to the US Secretary of State to publish the Presidential determination in the Federal Register.

“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2321k) (the “Act”), I hereby designate Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States for the purposes of the Act and the Arms Export Control Act,” read the statement.

The development comes after President William Ruto visited the United States for a three-day State visit in May this year and held talks with his US counterpart Joe Biden.

During President Ruto’s visit to the US, President Joe Biden notified his intention to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally.

According to White House then, the move would see Kenya become the first sub-Saharan country, and the fourth on the continent, to receive such status as a major non-NATO ally.

“In a powerful symbol of the close relationship between the United States and Kenya, today President Biden is informing Congress he intends to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally,” read a statement from the White House.

The designation is granted by the United States to countries with close and strategic working relationships with the U.S. military and defense civilians.

“The United States has a deep respect for Kenya’s contributions to global peace and security.  This is the first designation of a sub-Saharan Africa nation as a Major Non-NATO Ally.”