President Joe Biden and Kenyan President William Ruto are using the first state visit to the United States by an African leader in more than 15 years to call on economies around the globe to take action to reduce the enormous debt burden crushing Kenya and other developing nations. The call to action, dubbed the Nairobi-Washington Vision, comes as Biden presses his appeal to African nations that the U.S. can be a better partner than economic rival China.
Ruto said Wednesday that his talks with Biden will address “how we can have a fairer international financial system where all countries are treated equally.” Biden was also informing Congress on Thursday that he will designate Kenya a major non-NATO ally, according to the White House The designation, while largely symbolic, reflects how Kenya has grown from a regional partner that has long cooperated with U.S.