President William Ruto is preparing for a delicate diplomatic test in Washington as he heads to the United States next month for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The trip will mark his first under President Donald Trump’s administration and comes as Kenya faces heightened scrutiny of its strategic alignment with global powers.
The UNGA runs from 9 to 29 September, with the high-level debate opening on 23 September. On the sidelines, Ruto is expected to engage Trump’s White House at a moment when relations between Nairobi and Washington are at a crossroads.
Trump’s approach to African diplomacy has been criticised as starkly transactional. His hosting of five West African leaders in July was described by observers as a carefully choreographed performance, fuelling speculation that Ruto may receive similarly cool treatment.
Central to Washington’s deliberations is a review of Kenya’s designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally, announced by Senator James Risch.
The assessment will weigh Nairobi’s ties with China, Russia and Iran, as well as concerns over the misuse of U.S. security support amid allegations of rights abuses by Kenyan forces.
Ruto, however, has defended his deepening partnership with Beijing, highlighting tariff cuts on Kenyan tea, coffee and avocados as a lifeline for exporters. “It’s in the best interest of Kenya that we get into this market,” he said earlier this month.
Trade is also on the agenda as AGOA, the duty-free export pact, approaches expiry. Kenya’s $737m in U.S.-bound exports last year face uncertainty under Trump’s protectionist policies, though Ruto hopes to pivot toward a free-trade agreement that aligns with Trump’s “aid to trade” mantra.
Security will remain critical, with Washington reaffirming its support for Kenya’s leadership of the Haiti peacekeeping mission despite Trump’s aid freeze.
Ruto will also pitch Nairobi as host of the first African edition of the Grammy Awards, part of his push to make Kenya a continental creative hub.
