Nelson Koech, the Chairman of the Defence, Intelligence & Foreign Relations Committee, has issued a rebuttal to the United States Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, over concerns on Kenya's relations with China.

Senator Risch, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing held on May 13, questioned Kenya's loyalty after President Ruto declared that Kenya and Beijing are the co-architects of a new world order.

"Watching President Ruto and the Chinese holding hands and talking about the new world order is just stunning after all the work and effort we have put in there. The new world order was constructed by the US," he said.

"We must stop building US policy in Africa around individual leaders and instead focus on strengthening institutions, expanding private sector ties and empowering the region's young populations."

In his rejoinder, Koech noted that President Ruto’s comments on a new world order should be viewed as an assertion of Africa’s right to shape its future and not as a pivot in allegiance. 

"Kenya is calling for a more just global system — one where Africa contributes meaningfully to international governance and economic policy," he said in a statement.

Koech also argued that President Donald Trump has been pushing for reforms within global institutions while demanding for better terms for America, and Kenya should be allowed to do the same.

"...not to dismantle multilateralism, but to rebuild it on principles of equity and shared responsibility," he added.

He therefore called for a respectful reassessment, one that recognizes sovereignty, agency, and mutual benefit. 

Koech added that Kenya is not walking away from the US, it is simply widening its diplomatic space "as every nation has the right to do".

He extended an invite to Senator Risch and his committee to Kenya "and witness the clarity with which we define our future".