Kenya-USA relations in jeopardy as Nairobi to join China, Russia bloc

Kenya has officially set the stage to join an economic union of nations largely opposed to the West, popularly known as BRICS, in a move likely to widen cracks in relations with the United States.

The desire to join the multilateral group that is largely driven by China and Russia is contained in the revised Kenya Foreign Policy presented to Parliament.

Other founding members of BRICS are Brazil, India and South Africa.

The revelations come at a time key allies of President Donald Trump in the US Senate are calling for a review of American relations with Kenya, following a pro-China speech by President William Ruto in Beijing.

The government says its bid to join BRICS is part of efforts to continue to diversify its alliances for the benefit of the people and the country’s sustainable development.

“As it continues to monitor the strategic significance of this bloc, Kenya has meanwhile signaled its intent to consider joining the BRICS, which has emerged as a major economic and trading bloc,” Sessional Paper No.1 of 2025 reads in part.

“Additionally, Kenya will seek opportunities in climate change financing and carbon credits as BRICS strive to cut carbon emissions. The BRICS account for more than 40 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

With a heavy dominance of China and Russia, BRICS seeks to challenge the US-led world order and create an alternative to the Bretton Woods institutions.

It seeks to promote a global system that doesn’t sit well with Washington and is exploring the idea of creating a new reserve currency to reduce reliance on the US dollar for international trade. 

The discussions were firmed up at the BRICS 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia, in October.

The move to lay ground to join the bloc comes at a time there are jitters in Washington over the close ties between Nairobi and Beijing.

US President Donald Trump has warned BRICS against forming their own currency, repeating they could face 100 per cent tariffs "if they want to play games with the dollar."

"If any trading gets through, it'll be 100 per cent tariff, at least," he responded to a question about the BRICS setting up their currency.

Kenya will be the fourth African nation to join the bloc should it secure admission by the founder members.

Last year, new members were admitted to form BRICS+, an expansion that includes Egypt, the UAE, Iran, and Ethiopia. 

As of 2024, three African countries — South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia — were members.

While South Africa was hit by a 30 per cent trade tariff, Ethiopia and Egypt remained within the 10 per cent baseline.

“Kenya supports South- South cooperation and efforts to establish stronger economic ties within this global framework. Kenya and BRICS have aligned positions on promoting the use of local currencies in trade between its member states,” the paper reads.

It cites alignment to trade and the need to advocate for comprehensive reform of the IMF and the World Bank to make the institutions more representative, accountable and effective in addressing global challenges.

Kenya also says it aligns with BRICS members in pushing for comprehensive reform of the UN, including restructuring of the UN Security Council to represent the interests of all member states.

The sessional paper additionally notes that Kenya will endeavor to work with BRICS members and other states advocating for reforms of the international financial institutions and multilateral organisations.

“The existing strong bilateral relationships with members of BRICS in infrastructural development, financing, and foreign direct investments are bound to get better as BRICS expands,” it states.

Ahead of his state visit to China, President Ruto said Kenya was assessing the possibility of joining BRICS to leverage the South-South cooperation among the states in the Global South.

"BRICS is an option for Kenya. We are looking at the opportunities that come with membership of BRICS, and as a government, we are exploring the possibilities of what Kenya can leverage from BRICS," Ruto said in an interview.

In November 2024, President Ruto asked Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, for Beijing's backing to join the bloc.

Despite an invitation by South Africa President Cyril Ramaphoasa to the BRICS 2023 summit in April, Ruto skipped the event and instead sent his then Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Mutua. Kenya was not among the states that had expressed interest to join the bloc.

Government sources intimated to the Star that the change follows Kenya’s elevated ties with China, as witnessed in Ruto’s recent visit, where he also held bilateral talks with his counterpart, Xi Jinping.

The reasoning is that global politics has reached a turning point due to power competition, the emerging powers, new actors, and evolving interests.

Kenya has reportedly reconsidered its stance owing to the “assertiveness of developing states that are recalibrating the global status quo.”

Last week, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch in a hearing on East Africa and the Horn called for a review of ties with Kenya as it had expressed closeness to China.

Senator Risch was reacting to the speech by President Ruto at Peking University during his state visit to Beijing in which he described Kenya and China as co-architects of a new world order. 

Ruto's statement signals more than just an economic partnership and indicates a shift in allegiance.

"That’s not just alignment to China; it’s allegiance,” the senator said. “Relying on leaders who embrace Beijing so openly is an error. It’s time to reassess our relationship with Kenya and others who forge tight bonds with China.”

National Assembly Committee chairman of the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Nelson Koech (Belgut) in a response to Senator Risch said President Ruto’s reference to Kenya and China as “co-architects of a new world order” must be viewed as an assertion of Africa’s right to shape its future, not as a pivot in allegiance.

“Kenya is calling for a more just global system — one where Africa contributes meaningfully to international governance and economic policy,” he said in a letter dated May 19, 2025.

“If there is a reassessment to be made, then let it be one that recognises sovereignty, agency, and mutual benefit. Kenya is not walking away from the United States. We are widening our diplomatic space — as every nation has the right to do,” the MP said.

Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi on Tuesday said Kenya is a sovereign state that has the right to choose its friends and how to work with them.

“Even as we speak, the super powers are speaking. If you look at the trade numbers, who is the biggest trading partner of those two super powers? The biggest trade is literally between them. And they just met in Europe to reconcile their differences on matters trade. So, when Kenya engages or talks [with either], it must not be taken out of context,” Mudavadi told Citizen TV.

He added that he has written to Senator Risch formally, explaining Kenya’s position.

The Foreign Affairs ministry argues that a more complex and fragmented world system is coming up where global multilateralism is on the verge of crisis.

The government holds that there is pressure to reform the multilateral system and the international economic and financial architecture.

States, especially leading powers, it says, continue to undermine international organisations and institutions in pursuit of geopolitical interests.

“This policy recognises that it is in Kenya’s interest to monitor, analyse and engage with such groupings as a response to changes emanating from global economic and political spheres and demography.”