President Joe Biden announced the US would make Kenya a Major non-NATO Ally (MNNA) during President William Ruto’s visit to Washington. Countries that become MNNAs receive more access to American training, weapons, and technology. In exchange for Ruto agreeing to send Kenyan forces to Haiti, Biden lavished Nairobi with an upgraded military relationship.
On Thursday, Biden informed Congress of his intent to make Kenya the 19th MNNA. “Kenya is one of the US Government’s top counterterrorism and security partners in sub-Saharan Africa,” the letter from the White House to the Capitol said. “And the designation will demonstrate that the US sees African contributions to global peace and security as equivalent to those of our Major Non-NATO Allies in other regions.”
Becoming a MMA will significantly upgrade Kenya’s military ties with the US. Nairobi will get access to advanced US weapons, training, and technology. The arms include depleted uranium anti-tank ammunition.
The State Department Human Rights report on Kenya in 2023 found that government forces had engaged in significant and creditable acts of “arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearances; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government.” It notes Nairobi did not improve its human rights practices last year.
Still, the Biden administration has increased its military relationship with Nariobi to incentivize the Kenyan government to send its troops to Haiti. Washington hopes the armed Kenyan force will return order to the US-backed government in Port-au-Prince.
As many as 1,000 Kenyan troops were scheduled to arrive in Haiti in coordination with Ruto’s meeting with Biden. However, according to Reuters, that deployment has been delayed with no clear timeline. While the reason for the delay is unclear, one source said that conditions in Port-au-Prince were not conducive to receiving the armed men.
The Washington-installed government in Port-au-Prince supports the deployment, but Haitians are resisting the armed foreign troops. Haitian citizens protested the government over the plan.
Paramilitary groups prevented former Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to Port-au-Prince after he signed a pact with Ruto, allowing the deployment of Kenyan troops. While Henry was forced to resign, Washington facilitated the transition to a new government that also supports Kenyan troops fighting to gain control of the country.
