Kenya will be handed a major non-NATO ally by President Joe Biden during President William Ruto's state visit to the United States of America, US officials confirmed.
NATO is an intergovernmental security alliance of 30 countries from North America and Europe which was formed in 1949.
Kenya will be the first sub-Saharan nation to receive major non-NATO ally status, enabling it to acquire more sophisticated weaponry from the United States and engage in closer security cooperation.
The move comes at a time when the nation is preparing to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to Haiti to lead a multinational mission that will help restore law and order in the Caribbean nation.
"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. This 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 African nation as a Major Non-NATO Ally," part of the statement by the White House read.
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The major non-NATO ally status will be a boost for Kenya in the mission, and it signals a strengthened relationship between the country and the U.S.
Meanwhile, President Biden hosted President Ruto on Wednesday, May 22, at the White House in Washington, D.C., for a technology roundtable meeting.
The Kenyan Head of State asserted that Kenya appreciates the U.S.'s move to put more resources into the digital space, maintaining that no partnership was as valuable as one that is anchored on technology.
"Kenya appreciates the noble gesture by the United States of America to put more resources in the digital space to expand opportunities and transform lives not only in Kenya but also across our continent," President Ruto remarked.
President Ruto reiterated Kenya-US cooperation and expressed hope for stronger bonds and partnerships with the U.S. in resolving conflicts and tackling insecurity, especially in the Horn of Africa.
