Africa-Press – Kenya. Newly appointed Chargé d’Affaires at US Embassy in Nairobi, Susan Burns, and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga have underscored the need to strengthen ties between Kenya and the United States.
Taking to social media platform X, Raila shared details of his meeting with Burns, where the two reaffirmed the importance of the diplomatic bond between the two countries and expressed their shared commitment to enhancing it.
“I met Susan Burns, the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Nairobi. We agreed that the special relationship our countries have developed in the years past must be strengthened,” Raila wrote.
Burns assumed her new role recently, succeeding Carla Benini, who had served as Chargé d’Affaires since 2023.
Benini brought to the position extensive diplomatic experience, having previously served as Deputy Director for the Office of East African Affairs in Washington, D.C., among other senior roles.
The Kenya–US relationship is one of the most enduring and multifaceted bilateral partnerships on the African continent, with formal diplomatic ties dating back to 1964.
Over the decades, the alliance has matured into a strategic partnership that encompasses diplomatic, economic, security, and development cooperation.
Today, both countries continue to collaborate on a wide range of pressing global and regional challenges, including counterterrorism, climate change, economic growth, public health, and governance reforms.
Kenya has long been regarded as a key U.S. ally in the region, and the two nations often coordinate closely on peacekeeping missions, democratic governance, and regional stability—particularly in conflict-prone areas such as Somalia and South Sudan.
Economic engagement remains a critical pillar of the Kenya–U.S. partnership. The two countries are currently in advanced stages of negotiations for a reciprocal trade agreement that seeks to provide a structured and predictable framework for long-term commercial engagement.
This prospective deal aims to go beyond the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)—a preferential trade programme that offers duty-free access to the U.S. market for eligible sub-Saharan African countries—and create a more mutually beneficial trade architecture.
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