By Judy Maina judy.maina@alleastafrica.com
NAIROBI, Kenya – In a move underscoring the intensifying competition for influence across Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to arrive in Nairobi later this week for high-level talks with Kenyan officials.
The visit—originally planned for April—was delayed after President William Ruto’s high-profile trip to Beijing, which further deepened Kenya’s economic and diplomatic ties with China.
The Biden administration, while publicly emphasizing cooperation, is privately concerned about what officials describe as Nairobi’s “tilt toward Beijing” in recent months.
Kenya’s active participation in the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and a slew of new infrastructure deals with Chinese firms have prompted quiet recalibrations in Washington.
“This visit is part of a broader regional tour aimed at reaffirming U.S. partnerships and promoting transparent, sustainable development,” a State Department spokesperson said Monday, declining to comment directly on China’s growing footprint.
Rubio’s itinerary includes meetings with President Ruto, cabinet ministers, and civil society leaders.
U.S. officials say the talks will focus on digital infrastructure, regional security cooperation, and renewed efforts on debt transparency—a clear nod to concerns over China’s lending practices.
Kenya, a strategic anchor in East Africa and host to key U.S. military and diplomatic installations, has long balanced relations with both Washington and Beijing.
But recent moves—such as Nairobi’s adoption of Chinese-funded smart city projects and a proposed currency-swap mechanism—have raised alarms among Western partners.
For his part, Ruto has portrayed Kenya’s deepening engagement with China as pragmatic and non-aligned.
“We welcome partnerships that advance our national interest—whether from the East or West,” he said during a press event earlier this month.
Analysts suggest Rubio’s visit aims not only to reaffirm ties but to signal that Washington remains actively invested in Kenya’s political and economic trajectory.
“This is about reasserting presence,” said Dr. Susan Odeny, a political analyst at the University of Nairobi.
“Kenya has become a frontline state in the new era of global competition. Both sides know what’s at stake.”
Rubio is also expected to announce a new U.S.–Kenya digital infrastructure initiative and expanded support for regional counterterrorism efforts.
Whether the visit will ease strategic anxieties in Washington—or shift Nairobi’s current diplomatic calculus—remains to be seen.
But one thing is clear: Kenya is no longer just a development partner; it’s a geopolitical battleground.
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