On Thursday, US President Joe Biden welcomed Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House for a state visit. Amid China’s expanding influence in Africa, Washington is making efforts to deepen its relationships with African countries. The two leaders are expected to announce a series of agreements.
Ruto arrived in the US earlier this week and visited Atlanta, Georgia before meeting with executives at the White House on Wednesday. On Thursday, he is scheduled to meet with Biden in the Oval Office, hold a joint press conference, and attend a lavish state dinner in the evening.
This visit marks the first state visit to the White House by an African president since 2008. During his meeting with Biden, Ruto has been emphasizing that Kenya and the broader African continent are regions worthy of investment. At the executive meeting held at the White House on Wednesday, he informed Biden that perceptions about the African continent are evolving.
Over the past year, Africa’s political landscape has been disrupted by a series of military coups, wars, and tumultuous elections, allowing China and Russia to expand their influence further. Biden aims to strengthen relations with Kenya, seen as a democratic stronghold, to help stabilize the African continent and promote US interests.
The White House announced that Biden will designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally, the first sub-Saharan African nation to receive this title. Currently, 18 countries have been designated as major non-NATO allies, including Qatar, Israel, Brazil, and the Philippines.
Leaders are set to announce new US-supported investments in green energy and healthcare manufacturing industries in Kenya, along with detailed plans to reduce Kenya’s high debt burden, much of which is owed to China.
For decades, China has been providing high-interest loans to low-income African nations, including flagship infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, such as a high-speed railway from Nairobi to Mombasa.
According to data from Boston University’s China Africa Loans Database, from 2000 to 2022, Beijing provided $170 billion in loans to African countries, including $6.7 billion to Kenya. These loans have burdened Africa with significant debts, making it increasingly challenging for countries to repay, leading many to seek relief from sovereign debtors.
A US government official mentioned that the US will announce an additional $250 million investment in Kenya through the US International Development Finance Corporation, with $180 million allocated to a large affordable housing project. This will bring the US financial institution’s investment portfolio in Kenya to nearly $1.1 billion. The corporation will also establish an office in Kenya.
During this visit, US and Kenyan leaders will unveil the “Nairobi-Washington Vision,” calling for creditor nations, particularly China, to provide grants, budget support, and debt relief to help alleviate the burden.
Ruto has urged African leaders to rely more on low-interest loans from Western countries and the World Bank to fund their development, while calling on Biden to pay attention to the opportunities in Africa.
A senior US government official quoted Ruto telling CNN, “You used to think of Africa as a place of war and destruction, rather than a place of opportunity, and we are turning that perception into reality.”
“There is indeed China fatigue in Africa,” a former senior government official noted, adding that the US government sees opportunities there.
The humanitarian crisis in Haiti will be one of the focal points of the US-Kenya summit. Sources told Reuters that Kenya plans to deploy 1,000 quasi-military personnel to the Caribbean nation to quell gang violence, a mission primarily funded by the US.
Kenya has been a key partner for the US in combating the Al-Shabaab militant group in neighboring Somalia, and earlier this year joined a US-led international coalition aimed at repelling Houthi rebels in Yemen from attacking the Red Sea shipping lanes.
As China continues its expansion, the US is increasingly focusing on its presence in Africa. At last year’s G20 summit, the US and EU announced their support for constructing a railway corridor connecting Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia to facilitate the transport of critical minerals to the West.
A senior government official this week mentioned, “A lot has happened in the world in the past year and a half, that’s no longer a secret.” He highlighted visits by a series of cabinet ministers and other high-ranking government officials to Africa as a symbol of economic development in Africa.
On Thursday evening, Biden will host a state dinner for Ruto. Accompanied by 1,000 lit candles, guests will savor traditional White House tomato soup, butter-poached lobster, smoked prime rib, and white chocolate dessert.
During the dinner, music enthusiast Ruto will have the opportunity to enjoy performances by country singer Brad Paisley and Howard University’s Gospel Choir.
Biden informed reporters on Wednesday that he plans to make a formal visit to Africa in February next year following the US presidential election.