US officially designates Kenya as a major non-NATO ally

US President Joe Biden has officially designated Kenya a major Non-NATO ally, Report informs referring to The Star.

The designation comes a few weeks after President William Ruto's state visit to the US.

"By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2321k) (the “Act”).

"I hereby designate Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States for the purposes of the Act and the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.)," a presidential determination dated June 24 reads.

It was during the state visit that Biden announced his intention to have Kenya as a major non-NATO Ally.

NATO which stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation currently has 32 member countries, called NATO allies.

This historic move by Biden marks a significant milestone for Kenya as it becomes the first sub-Saharan African nation to receive this status and the fourth in Africa.

Others are Egypt awarded by former President Ronald Reagan (1987), Morocco by George W. Bush (2004), and Tunisia by Barack Obama in 2015.

The White House said this prestigious designation is granted by the US to countries with which it maintains close and strategic military and defence relationships.

"The US holds deep respect for Kenya’s substantial contributions to global peace and security," it said.