Kenya has once again found itself in the crosshairs of US scrutiny, this time over its deepening space cooperation with China, according to a recent congressional report that highlights growing tensions in the geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
Report flags strategic risks
The 2025 Report to Congress by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, released earlier this month, flags Kenya as part of China’s expanding network of aerospace partnerships in Africa. While the document does not delve deeply into Kenya’s specific activities, it lists the East African nation among countries where Beijing is establishing ground stations and forging ties with non-governmental entities – moves that the commission warns could carry strategic risks for American interests.
This development comes amid broader concerns about Nairobi’s warming relations with Beijing, which have already prompted calls in Washington to reassess Kenya’s status as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally – a designation it received just months ago, making it the first sub-Saharan African country to hold that position. US Senator Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a bill in August proposing a review of this alliance, citing President William Ruto’s comments during a visit to Peking University where he described Kenya and China as “co-architects of a new global order”.
Risch’s legislation demands a detailed account of Kenya’s military and security relationships with China, Russia and Iran since June 2024, reflecting unease over what some US lawmakers see as Nairobi’s pivot toward Beijing. “It’s time to reassess our relationship,” Risch has said, echoing sentiments that Kenya’s alliances could undermine shared security goals, particularly in countering groups like Al-Shabaab.
China’s space push in Africa
At the heart of the latest report is China’s push to extend its space footprint across Africa, a continent increasingly viewed as a battleground in the US-China competition for technological and geopolitical dominance. The commission describes how Beijing is leveraging its Military-Civil Fusion policy, which blurs the lines between civilian and military applications in space technology. This allows China to market satellite services and infrastructure as commercial ventures while potentially advancing the objectives of the People’s Liberation Army.
“China’s international expansion of its space services acts as a force multiplier for its geopolitical ambitions,” the report states. “Through a heavily state-led model, Beijing closely coordinates military, civil and commercial activities – enabling civilian space services to directly support the PLA’s goals while being marketed globally as purely commercial services.”
In Kenya, this manifests through initiatives like ground station presence, which enables China to support telemetry, tracking and command operations for its space assets. Kenya’s strategic location along the Western Indian Ocean, coupled with its established Malindi Space Centre – historically used for satellite launches – makes it an attractive partner. The centre, originally built with Italian collaboration, has hosted various international missions, but recent overtures toward China have raised eyebrows in Washington.
Back in July 2019, Kenya Space Agency engineer Charles Maina Mwangi expressed enthusiasm for partnering with Beijing, telling China’s *Xinhua* news agency that Kenya was eager to tap into China’s “robust and vibrant space industry” to enhance its satellite technology. By October 2022, Kenya stood out as the only African nation among 17 countries selected for research under China’s Tiangong Space Station programme, a milestone that underscored Nairobi’s growing ambitions in space.
Regional patterns and warnings
These ties are part of a wider pattern across the continent. The report identifies the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania as other regional players where China is advancing satellite technology, lunar research and space-science agreements. Experts warn that such partnerships often involve dual-use technologies – civilian tools with potential military applications – that could give Beijing access to sensitive data and resources in strategically vital areas.
Victoria Samson, chief director of Space Security and Stability at the Secure World Foundation, testified before the commission that China frequently targets resource-rich or geopolitically significant regions. “This approach allows China to gain access to those resources and collect sensitive data or communications that can be used to exert diplomatic leverage,” she said.
Rashid Abdi, a major powers competition analyst, has noted Africa’s importance to China not just for strategic minerals but also in the escalating race to dominate space. Historically, African nations leaned on Western or Russian collaborators for space endeavours, but Beijing has disrupted this by offering affordable launches, ground stations, remote sensing and training programmes.
Broader rivalry implications
The broader US-China space rivalry adds urgency to these concerns. While the United States remains the global leader in space, the report highlights China’s rapid progress, transforming from a nascent player to a powerhouse with a thriving ecosystem of startups rivaling American firms in launches and satellite networks. China excels in manufacturing and rocketry, deploying industrial policies to close gaps in areas like reusable rockets and low-Earth orbit constellations. The stakes extend to orbital slots, ground infrastructure influence and future markets with national security implications.
For Kenya, this places it at the nexus of great power competition. President Ruto has defended his country’s ties with China, arguing they complement rather than contradict partnerships with the West. Yet, as bilateral relations with Washington show signs of strain – exacerbated by events like the proposed non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization status review – Nairobi must navigate carefully to avoid alienating key allies.
Lessons from Rwanda
Similar dynamics play out in neighbouring Rwanda, another country cited in the report for its space collaborations with China. Kigali has pursued diverse international engagements, including a high-profile tourism sponsorship with English Premier League club Arsenal Football Club. The “Visit Rwanda” deal, launched in 2018, featured the slogan on Arsenal’s shirt sleeves, aiming to boost global visibility for Rwanda’s tourism and investment appeal.
However, the eight-year partnership, valued at millions, faced backlash over Rwanda’s human rights record and its alleged support for the M23 militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – a conflict that has displaced millions. Arsenal fans protested, and the club announced in November 2025 that the deal would end in June 2026, concluding a controversial chapter. Supporters welcomed the decision, viewing it as a step toward ethical sponsorships.
Rwanda’s experience illustrates the pitfalls African nations face in balancing economic opportunities with international scrutiny. While the Arsenal tie was a commercial venture with a Western entity, its space partnerships with China – part of Beijing’s full-spectrum approach to Africa’s space sector – echo the dual-use concerns raised in the US report. China offers comprehensive support, from satellite development to capacity building, helping countries like Rwanda advance their space ambitions amid limited resources.
Path forward for Nairobi
As the space economy burgeons, projected to influence everything from communications to defence, Africa’s role is pivotal. The US commission recommends bolstering American engagement to counter China’s influence, including through enhanced partnerships and oversight of dual-use technologies.
For Kenya, the path forward involves threading the needle between leveraging Chinese expertise for development and maintaining strong ties with the US, its key security partner. As one Kenyan official put it anonymously, “Space is the new frontier, and we can’t afford to be left behind.” But with Washington watching closely, Nairobi’s choices could reshape its place in the emerging multipolar order.
