President William Ruto's ongoing engagement with BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) has caused unease in the United States and Europe.
Eurasia Review, an independent journal that comments on geopolitical matters, reports that Kenya and Ethiopia are displaying interest in aligning with BRICS, which could consequently draw Somalia into this emerging coalition.
This potential choice bears the risk of undermining the West, given Kenya and Somalia's crucial roles as strategic allies in counterterrorism efforts.
US and Europe face the prospect of eroding well-established alliances—both political and economic—that have been carefully cultivated for nearly a century.
Kenya has historically received substantial support from Western nations in the forms of development aid, security assistance, and diplomatic partnerships.
In reciprocation, Western countries have promoted values like democracy, human rights, and good governance within Kenya while also benefiting from lucrative trade agreements.
Recently, countries allied to the BRICS economic bloc have aimed to replicate the West's contributions to Kenya and Somalia, all the while demanding fewer reciprocal obligations.
This approach has raised concerns among established global powers, as it seems to undermine their traditional influence.
Notably, Russia has entered the scene by extending aid to Kenya in the form of fertiliser. This aid from Russia has been perceived as a potential challenge to the development assistance provided by Western nations.
“Joining BRICS could offer Ethiopia and Kenya various potential benefits, including enhanced trade partnerships, infrastructure development, technological cooperation, and access to alternative sources of financing,” Eurasia Review notes.
Furthermore, the continued efforts of the BRICS to engage with Kenya have created unease among Western powers, as it introduces complexities to their foreign policy strategies.
This growing attention from the BRICS countries could potentially disrupt the established balance of power and influence in the region.
Kenya’s Stand
While President William Ruto has engaged BRICS in economic discussions, he has not publicly voiced Kenya’s desire to disrupt the dalliance with the West.
The President was conspicuously missing in Russia last month when Vladimir Putin invited African Heads of State to an economic summit in Moscow.
Additionally, Ruto unlike his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta has steered clear from borrowing from China. Instead, he has sought financial aid from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other Western-backed lending institutions.
In an earlier interview with Kenyans.co.ke, economist Vincent Kimosop explained that Ruto was not isolating the East but doing what was best for the country. He noted that the President was seeking cheaper loans to contain Kenya's ballooning public debt.
