The US wants to make Kenya a “major non-NATO ally”.

The symbolic move is expected to be made during Kenyan President William Ruto's three-day state visit to the US.

According to one insider, the US wants to expand its security ties with Kenya. US President Joe Biden is expected to declare the East African country a key “non-NATO ally”, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. The symbolic move is expected to be made during Kenyan President William Ruto's three-day state visit to the US.

It reflects the administration's desire in Washington to deepen ties with the East African nation, which has long had close ties with Russia and China. Kenya is the first sub-Saharan country to receive this status. The official title is given by the United States to countries that have particularly close diplomatic and strategic ties with the United States, but are not members of NATO for various reasons. The White House did not immediately comment.

A new era of collaboration

On Wednesday, Biden said he and Rudo would usher in a new era of technology cooperation between the two countries, including work on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and semiconductors. He did not mention the security issue.

Like America, Kenya has become an “innovation engine,” the insider said. He pointed to the $1 billion Silicon Savannah technology hub, home to more than 200 U.S. and Kenyan startups in a variety of sectors, including clean energy, microelectronics, financial technology and e-commerce. Participating companies include Alphabet. (APA/Reuters)