Kenya Eyes BRICS Membership: How Ruto's China Alliance Could Change Everything

Kenyan President William Ruto has formally requested China’s support in Kenya's bid to join the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Kenya aims to leverage this partnership to diversify its global economic alliances, enhance trade opportunities, and reduce its reliance on Western financial structures. With other African countries like Ethiopia, Algeria, and Egypt recently joining or exploring membership in BRICS, Ruto's government sees potential benefits in accessing the alternative economic and development models BRICS offers, especially in challenging the dominance of the U.S. dollar in trade settlements.

During recent bilateral meetings with Chinese officials, Ruto emphasized that Kenya values its close relationship with China, which has already contributed significantly to infrastructure projects through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative. Kenya hopes to deepen this relationship to foster more inclusive financing for development projects and gain China's backing for its BRICS membership application.

Kenya's motivation for joining BRICS is also linked to regional aspirations. By aligning with BRICS, Kenya aims to support intra-African trade expansion and secure financing that may come with fewer conditions compared to Western sources. This shift could provide Kenya with more autonomy in managing its economic policies and help stabilize its currency by reducing dependency on the dollar in trade, allowing for settlements in alternative currencies used by BRICS nations.

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