Gachagua Urges US to Reconsider Kenya’s Major Non-NATO Ally Status, Citing Ruto’s ‘Slide into Dictatorship’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called on Kenyans living in the United States to lobby US lawmakers in support of a bill that could strip Kenya of its coveted Major Non-NATO Ally designation, accusing President William Ruto of authoritarianism and gross human rights abuses.

Speaking at a diaspora town hall on Sunday, August 10, Gachagua endorsed legislation sponsored by US Senator James Risch that seeks a formal review of Kenya’s security partnership with Washington over alleged ties to non-state armed groups and foreign terrorist organisations.

“The president we elected — and most of you voted for him — has turned against the people of Kenya and become a dictator who cannot be told by anybody,” Gachagua told the gathering. “Give US legislators the facts on what is happening back at home.”

Backing, but No Claim of Influence

The former deputy president stressed that he had no role in initiating the US Senate measure but said its contents align with long-standing concerns he has raised locally — including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and alleged dealings with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces militia and Somalia’s Al-Shabaab.

“The impunity in Kenya by William Ruto and his mafia has reached Washington,” Gachagua declared. “I did not bring the matter, but I support it because the issues raised are the same I raise every day.”

Crisis in Governance

Gachagua painted a bleak picture of the state of governance in Nairobi, accusing Ruto of dismantling institutional checks and presiding over a climate of fear. He said the US bill was a sign that Kenya’s governance crisis had become a matter of international concern.

He also praised Kenya’s youth — particularly the Gen Z movement — for stepping into the political vacuum left by weakened opposition parties. “Since nature abhors a vacuum, our young children, Gen Zs, have filled the space and become the opposition in Kenya,” he said, lauding their resilience despite reports of abductions, intimidation, and deadly crackdowns.

Security Ties at Risk

Kenya was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally by the US in 2022, a status that deepens military cooperation and facilitates access to advanced defence equipment. Gachagua warned that continued governance failures under Ruto could jeopardise these strategic ties.

“Mr William Ruto must answer to the people of Kenya and take full responsibility for shaming our beloved country,” he concluded.

The US Senate bill, if passed, could trigger a State Department review that may alter the course of US-Kenya security relations — a move that would carry significant geopolitical and economic repercussions for Nairobi.