President William Ruto has expressed Kenya’s interest in joining the BRICS group and has asked for backing from China.
President Ruto held bilateral talks with a top Chinese official, Li Xi, where he expressed Kenya’s intent to join the BRICS group of emerging national economies.
Further, he went ahead to ask for China’s support in this bid while reaffirming his commitment to strengthen ties with China. The talks were held on November 6, 2024, at Statehouse Nairobi.
Additionally, President Ruto also pledged to uphold the ‘One-China’ policy and noted that Kenya is committed to promoting the partnership across Africa.
“Kenya, I want to assure you is committed to promoting this partnership across Africa and also upholding the ‘One-China’ Policy,” said President Ruto.
Ruto holds discussions with China on joining BRICS
The bilateral talks were aimed at strengthening the relationship between Kenya and China, with a specific focus on regional peace and economic initiatives.
In attendance were key government officials including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Hassan Omar.
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BRICS is an intergovernmental organization that aims to promote economic and political cooperation among its members. It comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia and China.
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The current composition of BRICS
Currently, BRICS member countries make up approximately 28% of the global economy.
The group has been meeting annually since 2009 where it sets priorities for the year.
Member states take turns to host the summit, and the country that hosts the summit also takes a one-year chairmanship to host a summit and set priorities for the year.
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In 2014, the BRICS member states to set up the New Development Bank to lend money and boost infrastructure among them. It offers guarantees, loans and other financial support mechanisms to enable development among member states.
Top of the 2024 priorities has been to further its growth by incorporating more member countries, as member countries seek to onboard more members. Currently, over 40 countries are being reported to have expressed interest in joining BRICS. Some of these countries include Gabon, Comoros, Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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