Kenyan President Ruto's White House visit spotlights US-Africa policy

Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to the United States, the first for an African leader since 2008, was “a big deal,” to quote a Biden administration official. The many White House events — with state dinner and hefty announcements — brought attention to Kenya and the broader U.S.-Africa relationship, offering time to take stock after a major 2022 summit brought African leaders to Washington, D.C. Ruto and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed “the significant opportunity for the U.S. to radically recalibrate its strategy and strengthen its support for Africa” by investing in its institutions and peace and security, Ruto said. He called on the U.S. to help African nations struggling with multiple shocks, like extreme climate events, debt distress, and spillover from global conflicts. “Too many nations are forced to make a choice between development and debt, between investing in their people and paying back their creditors,” Biden said at a joint press conference with the two presidents. In recognition of greater cooperation between the nations and a deeper strategic relationship, Biden said he would seek congressional approval to make Kenya the first sub-Saharan African country to be designated a major non-NATO ally, largely seen as an important symbolic move. Biden’s Africa policy has sought to overhaul the U.S. relationship with the continent from donor-recipient to partner, and while some question its success, the NATO classification, and the rhetoric and joint agreements, indicate a U.S. desire to follow through. While discussions in Washington, and particularly on Capitol Hill, often tie Africa policy to U.S. efforts to counter China — a narrative many Africans chafe at — it wasn’t a major feature of the discussions last week. Ruto has also worked to position himself as a leader representing African needs, from climate change to World Bank funding, and this visit further put him in the spotlight in that role. He used his time at the White House to advocate for more U.S. involvement in addressing debt for countries like Kenya, which must make difficult trade-offs and limit growth to cover debt payments, as well as encourage the U.S. to provide more funding to multilateral development banks, and partner further on climate change priorities. He also made clear that the East African nation wants more trade and investment with the U.S. Now that the flurry of fancy events, policy conversations, and general hoopla has died down, the many announcements can be dissected and placed in the broader context of the current U.S.-Africa relationship. Democracy and leadership The two nations agreed to work together to set the “course for democracy,” Ruto said at a joint press conference with Biden last week, and part of that includes policies and laws in Kenya itself. “My visit takes place at a time when democracies are perceived to be retreating worldwide. The accelerating drift towards regimes indifferent to democratic values is a deep concern to us. And I believe it is time the U.S. working with Kenya deploys its capabilities and rally like-minded democratic countries to set up the course for democracy,” Ruto said. Biden made similar remarks at the joint press conference and thanked Ruto for implementing the 2013 Public Benefits Organizations Act, which was passed years ago but had not entered into force. The law will govern NGOs in the country and provide civil society protections. “Like you, I believe the future is going to be won by countries that unleash the full potential of their population, including civil society, women, and young people. I look forward to working together to implement this act, and jumpstarting anti-corruption reforms, and promote democratic values that bind our nations together.” The U.S. will provide new funding to support the implementation of the new law and improve oversight of governance practices, combating corruption, strengthening political engagement, and improving Kenya’s national police service. The countries will also continue to work together on counterterrorism issues and global stability, including the crisis in Haiti, where Kenya is leading the security effort and committing police forces to help combat rampant crime gangs in the country. The U.S. is providing significant monetary support for the effort, but not personnel. Both presidents were questioned by the media on the subject, including why the U.S. isn’t sending forces and why Kenya would work in Haiti when it has significant security concerns domestically. The U.S. won’t commit personnel to avoid perceptions and misrepresentations that could fuel further instability, Biden said. “President Ruto and I agree that the Haitian people deserve better. They deserve peace and security and I thank him for taking on this responsibility, but we have his back.” Ruto pushed back on the idea that Kenya is doing the U.S.’s bidding in Haiti. “I am the president of Kenya. It’s me to make that decision,” he said, adding that his government is addressing domestic issues. “We have a clear framework, and it is us, the people of Kenya who made this decision in the interest of serving peace and stability as a responsible global citizen. And understanding that insecurity anywhere is insecurity and instability everywhere.” Debt The leaders agreed to address debt, a key barrier for many countries, including Kenya, as they seek to grow. To that end, Biden and Ruto launched the “Nairobi-Washington Vision” aimed at pushing through more resources from international financial institutions to support countries saddled with debt. The U.S. will provide some $250 million to a World Bank crisis response fund and in the coming weeks contribute $21 billion in Special Drawing Rights to the International Monetary Fund’s trust for the poorest countries. Ruto recently hosted a meeting of African heads of state to discuss the upcoming replenishment of the International Development Association, or IDA, the World Bank’s fund for low-income countries, and called upon donors to step up commitments, in part to offset debt burdens. He also called on the U.S. to double its contribution for this replenishment cycle to $8 billion. “We’re happy to do our part and look we’ve also doubled our commitment to IDA and I’m proud of the United States, the biggest donor in the IDA cycle, and proud to be working alongside Kenya to support a robust financing and policy package. There’s debt and there’s growth and you got to deal with the debt before you deal with the growth,” said Biden. It’s unclear if Biden has in fact agreed to double the U.S. contribution in the upcoming cycle, and even if he did, in a tight budget environment, it remains to be seen if Congress would approve the funds. Trade and investment ties It was apparent across many of Ruto’s speeches that boosting investment was a crucial aim of his trip and Kenya’s partnership with the U.S. The two presidents agreed to “hasten the renewal” of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, a key trade program, Ruto said, and that discussions on the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership may be concluded by year-end. AGOA renewal and the increased cooperation on trade and investment are critical to Kenya and the region, James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group Holdings, a major East African bank, told Devex. There’s been an improvement in U.S. engagement over the past two years across many of the agencies boosting their work in Africa, he said. Beyond trade and investment programs, a long-term reauthorization of PEPFAR is critical to Kenya and the region, Mwangi said, adding that the private sector has seen the devastation of HIV and recognizes the importance of addressing the challenges associated with the disease. Mwangi helped develop and champion the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to improve agricultural productivity, address job challenges, and increase trade and investment on the continent. U.S. capital must play a role, he said at an event Equity Group hosted on Capitol Hill. During Ruto’s visit, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced plans to open an office in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and about $250 million in additional deals in the nation — many in the works for a while — bringing its total investments in Kenya to more than $1 billion. That includes investments in electric vehicles, solar energy, affordable housing, internet connectivity, and more. “I think Kenya, because of its strength in green power, because of its strength, in terms of its workforce, would be a fantastic place for the manufacturer of solar panels. That's something that's badly needed so that the global market for solar panels isn't dependent on one country,” DFC CEO Scott Nathan said at an event last week. The Millennium Challenge Corporation, alongside Ruto, also launched its $60 million Kenya Urban Mobility and Growth Threshold Program to address transportation and land use needs in Nairobi and improve policies and institutions. There were private sector announcements, too, including an agreement with the Coca-Cola Company focused on policy engagement, mango juice production, and plastic recycling. Coca-Cola announced a new $175 million investment in the country. Climate and health The two presidents have made addressing climate change a priority, with Ruto positioning himself as a leader, including through hosting the African Climate Summit last year. So it was no surprise that the two countries would choose to collaborate more formally on the issues. Ruto sought to change the narrative around Africa in some of his remarks, presenting the opportunity for the region to lead, particularly on climate, by providing renewable energy and protecting important carbon sinks — natural environments such as forests that absorb carbon dioxide. “Africa has the potential to be a crucial part of the solution for the world. With our massive untapped renewable energy potential, the world's youngest and fastest growing workforce, and abundant natural assets our continent has the fundamentals to be a major player in the three critical areas needed to avert the climate catastrophe,” Ruto said. “Realizing Africa's green industrialization potential requires clear ambition, prioritization, and collaboration,” he added. Kenya is committed to “climate-positive” economic growth and turning plans into investment opportunities. But he cautioned “Africa's role in addressing climate change is not guaranteed and nobody should take it for granted. It is not our business to keep trees. It is not our business to keep forests. It will not materialize if we are so crippled by debt that we cannot educate our youth, if investors deem it as too risky to engage.” he said. The two presidents launched the U.S.-Kenya Climate and Clean Energy Industrial Partnership, which will address clean energy deployment, clean energy supply chains, and green industrialization. Most of the funding will come through existing international financial institutions and global funds, including the Clean Technology Fund. There were also a number of health-related investments, among them a commitment by the U.S. to help Kenya create a public health emergency management training program and a commitment from Kenya to push forward the Kenyan Pharmacy and Poisons Board, which is needed to increase local manufacturing of medical products. The U.S. will also provide $31 million to help Kenya set up a digital health care delivery system that will better support care, and detect and respond to public health threats. Broader implications The reality is while many of the announcements were focused on Kenya specifically, Ruto’s visit was very much about the broader U.S.-Africa policy as well. These types of visits for African nations are rare and so receive considerable attention, in part because Africa “does not always get that access to the White House in the way that a lot of us who follow Africa believe it should get,” Mvemba Dizolele, the director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said at a press briefing ahead of the visit. The Biden administration released its Africa policy in August 2022 aimed at resetting the relationship with Africa and changing engagement. The policy “stressed the value of partnership with Africa,” Dizolele said, adding that it's often unclear what that means and how it will differ from past relationships. Some, like Dizolele, question if there has been significant follow-through from the Africa policy and the promises of the U.S.-Africa Leaders summit, which brought delegations from 49 African nations to Washington, D.C. in 2022. Part of the challenge is the numerous global crises — from Ukraine to Israel-Gaza — have pulled senior U.S. attention. “Africa has a hard time breaking through right now,” a senior former administration official told Devex, but the state visit provides an opportunity for leaders to focus on Kenya and on Africa more broadly. The Biden administration says it has exceeded the $55 billion in commitments made at the leaders summit. An “unprecedented” number of senior administration officials — more than 20 — including the vice president, secretary of state, treasury secretary, commerce secretary, and defense secretary, have also visited the continent. But Biden promised in 2022 to travel to the continent and has not. A trip had been in the works when the conflict in Israel and Gaza kicked off, postponing a visit, the former senior government official told Devex. If he wins a second term in November, Biden said he would go in February. The administration hasn’t been good at communicating what it is doing on the continent, but addressing some of the challenges is also increasingly complex, the former senior official said. “The continent is facing some historic headwinds” that are difficult to solve because, in part, the methods and tools are outdated. “We had a way in the international community of trying to address conflict and crises and democratic backsliding, that, you know, there were certainly real challenges, but it was sort of the playbook that had been established for the last 30 years,” the former senior official said, adding that while in the job it became clear “how dull our tools have become.” The old tactics and politics used to address problems don’t work in a world with growing disinformation, the erosion of global norms, and a different set of players. The U.S. is having to figure out how to solve problems today, the former senior official said. Another key element of U.S. Africa policy that came up during the visit, and in recent congressional hearings is the issue of African agency amidst geopolitical competition. While U.S.-Africa policy isn’t defined by great power competition, it also isn’t divorced from it, the former senior official said. While the U.S. is clear about concerns it has about China’s role on the continent, the narrative that the U.S. is the “partner of choice” doesn’t necessarily ring true. “Africans don't want a partner of choice, but they want a choice of partners,” the former official said. Update, May 28, 2024: This article has been updated to clarify that the United States' contribution to IMF’s trust for the poorest countries is in SRDs.