NAIROBI, Kenya – Friday, 21 November 2025, 10:00 PM EAT – A new report from a United States congressional commission has placed Kenya at the heart of the escalating geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing, citing Nairobi’s deepening space technology cooperation with China as a key component of a global network that could serve military purposes. The annual report, released this week by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), warns that Beijing is leveraging civilian space partnerships with countries like Kenya to advance its strategic and military objectives, challenging U.S. interests.

The USCC, a body created by the U.S. Congress to monitor the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship with China, explicitly detailed Beijing’s strategy to establish an expansive network of overseas space ground stations. According to the commission, these facilities, while often framed as commercial or scientific ventures, provide critical telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) capabilities that are inherently dual-use. U.S. officials express concern that this network could be used to monitor, jam, or even target U.S. and allied space assets in a potential conflict. Senior U.S. Space Force generals have identified China as the top threat in the space domain, accusing Beijing of building a sophisticated "kill chain" to target American forces from greater distances using its space-based assets.

The Malindi Connection and China's African Network

While the USCC report did not name specific Kenyan projects, attention invariably falls on the historic Luigi Broglio Space Centre (BSC) in Malindi. Though operated by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) under a bilateral agreement with Kenya, the facility provides tracking services to multiple international partners, including the Chinese Space Agency. In July 2023, Kenya's Defence Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, disclosed that the BSC provides TTC support for Chinese manned space missions, alongside clients like NASA and SpaceX. This operational involvement with Chinese space activities at a strategic equatorial location is a likely point of concern for Washington.

The Kenyan partnership is part of a broader, continent-wide strategy by Beijing. China has signed space cooperation agreements with at least 23 African nations, funding satellites and building ground stations as part of its 'Digital Silk Road' initiative. It has helped build satellite testing facilities in Egypt, launched satellites for Nigeria and Ethiopia, and is constructing a ground station in Namibia. This network enhances Beijing’s global coverage and promotes its BeiDou satellite navigation system as an alternative to the U.S.-operated Global Positioning System (GPS).

Kenya's Sovereign Ambitions vs. Geopolitical Pressures

For Kenya, the partnership with China offers a pragmatic path to achieving its own space ambitions. The Kenya Space Agency's (KSA) Strategic Plan (2023-2027) outlines a clear vision to leverage space technology for national development. Key objectives include using Earth observation data for agriculture, environmental monitoring, and disaster management—areas where satellite technology is critical.

The launch of Kenya's first operational satellite, Taifa-1, in April 2023, symbolized this ambition. Although launched by the American company SpaceX, the satellite was designed by Kenyan engineers with training and manufacturing support from a Bulgarian firm, demonstrating Kenya's multi-aligned approach to sourcing technology and partners. For many developing nations, China offers accessible financing, technology transfer, and training that Western partners have been slower to provide. In 2022, Kenya was reportedly the only African nation selected to join the first batch of 17 countries to conduct research aboard China's Tiangong Space Station.

However, the USCC report underscores the potential costs of this cooperation. By integrating into China's space infrastructure network, Kenya risks being drawn into a direct strategic confrontation between the world's two largest powers. The U.S. has previously warned that Beijing uses such partnerships to advance its terrestrial geopolitical goals, including the Belt and Road Initiative. This places Nairobi in a delicate diplomatic position, forced to balance its urgent developmental needs against the strategic anxieties of its traditional partners.

As the new space race intensifies, the choices made by the Kenyan government will have significant implications. Navigating the competing interests of Washington and Beijing will require careful strategic planning to maximize the benefits of international partnerships while mitigating the risks of geopolitical entanglement. The nation's ability to maintain its sovereign technological path while assuring global partners of its peaceful intentions will be a defining challenge for its foreign and security policy in the coming years.