KENYAN President William Ruto pledged to build closer ties with China today, a day after saying a global trade war triggered by Washington could deal a “death blow” to the current world order.

Mr Ruto is on a five-day visit to China, his third trip to Beijing since taking office in 2022. The visit comes at a time when both Kenya and China are seeking to expand ties amid a tariff fight between Washington and Beijing.

Kenya wants to learn from “China’s remarkable journey of transformation in governance, economic development and global leadership,” Mr Ruto said.

He thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for supporting the development of healthcare and education.

Mr Xi told Mr Ruto that “China attaches great importance to China-Kenya relations” and that Beijing would work with Kenya to develop the “unity and co-operation of the global South.”

Kenya is a key participant in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the ambitious plan that aims to connect Africa, Asia and Europe through massive infrastructure and energy projects. 

During a keynote speech at China’s prestigious Peking University on Wednesday, Mr Ruto slammed the United Nations security council and the current world order, calling it “broken, dysfunctional and no longer fit for purpose” and said the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump “may be its final death blow.”