Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, 30 October 2025, ordered the immediate resumption of American nuclear weapons testing, ending a unilateral moratorium that has been in place since 1992. The directive, announced on the social media platform Truth Social, has sent shockwaves through the international community, raising alarms over a potential new and dangerous global arms race.

In his announcement, made shortly before a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, Mr. Trump stated he had instructed the “Department of War” to begin testing on an “equal basis” with Russia and China. “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” he wrote. The process, he added, “will begin immediately.” While the historical Department of War was succeeded by the Department of Defense, responsibility for the U.S. nuclear stockpile and its testing lies with the Department of Energy.

Fact-Checking the Claims

Mr. Trump’s justification hinges on claims about the nuclear arsenals of the U.S., Russia, and China. He asserted that the “United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country.” However, data from independent monitors contradicts this. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the Federation of American Scientists, as of early 2025, Russia possesses the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, followed by the United States.

The former president also claimed China’s nuclear arsenal, a “distant third,” would be “even within 5 years.” While China is rapidly expanding its nuclear forces, U.S. Pentagon reports from 2023 and 2024 project that Beijing will possess over 1,000 operational warheads by 2030, a significant increase but still well behind the arsenals of both the U.S. and Russia. The announcement follows recent Russian tests of new nuclear-powered delivery systems, including the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone, which President Vladimir Putin has touted as unique and unstoppable.

Implications for Kenya and Global Treaties

This decision directly challenges the global framework for nuclear non-proliferation, a cornerstone of which is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Adopted in 1996, the CTBT prohibits all nuclear explosions. The United States signed the treaty in 1996 but its Senate has never ratified it. Russia, which had ratified the treaty in 2000, formally withdrew its ratification in November 2023, citing the need to “mirror” the U.S. stance. A resumption of U.S. testing would effectively shatter the de facto global norm against testing observed by major powers for decades.

For Kenya, the move is a significant blow to decades of foreign policy centered on multilateralism and disarmament. Kenya is a signatory and ratifier of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which seeks a comprehensive ban on nuclear arms. Furthermore, Kenya is a party to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Pelindaba. This treaty, which entered into force in 2009, commits the African continent to remaining free of nuclear weapons.

A renewed arms race among superpowers creates profound instability that directly affects East Africa. It threatens to divert resources from development to defence, disrupt global trade and investment flows crucial for Kenya’s economy, and undermine the rules-based international order that protects smaller nations. The decision by the U.S. could embolden other nations to pursue or expand their own nuclear capabilities, unravelling the fragile global peace and security architecture.

A New Era of Nuclear Brinkmanship

The U.S. has not conducted a live nuclear weapon test since 23 September 1992. Since then, it has relied on subcritical tests and advanced computer simulations to ensure the reliability of its stockpile. Experts suggest that resuming full-scale underground tests could take years of preparation.

International reaction has been swift, with arms control advocates and global leaders expressing grave concern. Analysts fear the U.S. action could trigger a tit-for-tat response from Russia and China, leading to a new, costly, and destabilizing arms race. The decision marks a significant departure from decades of American policy and international norms, pushing the world into a more precarious and unpredictable nuclear era.