Fred Ogolla defends Ruto amid backlash over non-NATO ally status
By Paulette Mboga, August 7, 2025Governance expert Prof. Fred Ogolla has come to the defence of President William Ruto following growing public debate over Kenya’s designation as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) of the United States. The debate emerged after recent developments hinted that Kenya may be at risk of losing this status, just months after it was granted.
Speaking in support of the president in a TV interview on Thursday, August 7, 2025, Ogolla criticised Kenyans for being inconsistent in their reactions to the government’s foreign policy decisions.
“Many Kenyans criticised President Ruto when Kenya got the non-NATO ally status,” Ogolla said. “But now that we are at the risk of losing it, the same Kenyans are on his neck. So Kenyans don’t know what they want.”
Non-NATO ally status
The non-NATO ally status, conferred to Kenya by the U.S. government in 2024, was seen as a strategic diplomatic win. It came with privileges including access to military equipment, training programs, and intelligence sharing. However, recent concerns have emerged that Kenya’s growing ties with China could complicate its relationship with the U.S.
Ogolla noted that losing the MNNA status would not be without consequences. “What were the privileges we were getting as a non-NATO ally?” he posed. “If Kenya loses this status, we will be losing military equipment, training and intelligence privileges.”
Despite this, he advised the president to remain strategic in balancing international partnerships.
“Advice to President Ruto… it is easy to balance both the U.S. and China relations,” he added, emphasising that Kenya should not be forced into choosing one superpower over the other.
His sentiments were echoed by foreign policy analyst Wilson, who argued that Kenya’s relationships with the U.S. and China serve different purposes and should not be viewed as conflicting.
“Our partnership with China is majorly about trade,” Wilson said. “Our partnership with the U.S is majorly on security. We never applied to be a non-NATO ally of the U.S, and we are not dismissive of it. But, even the U.S benefits from the arrangement.”
The comments come at a time when the government faces mounting pressure to clarify its diplomatic direction, with analysts warning that Kenya must tread carefully to avoid alienating either side in the ongoing geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China.