President William Ruto has dismissed speculation that Kenya is part of a deal with the United States to host illegal immigrants deported from American soil.
Speaking in New York during the United Nations General Assembly, Ruto told France 24 that his administration had not received any formal request from Washington regarding the matter.
“Kenya has no such requests,” Ruto said firmly when asked whether the US had approached Nairobi, noting that while some African nations—including Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda—had entered into agreements with the US, Kenya was not among them.
He, however, clarified that if such a request were to come, it would not be accepted automatically. Instead, it would be evaluated strictly within the framework of the Kenyan Constitution.
“If we were to get a request from the US government, it has to be in line with Kenyan law,” he reiterated.
The remarks came shortly after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni confirmed that his country had agreed to receive deported migrants from the US, a decision that sparked heated reactions across the region.
Uganda, which already hosts Africa’s largest refugee population, set clear conditions for the deal—including the rejection of deportees with criminal records and unaccompanied minors. Officials also insisted that the individuals sent must be of African origin.
Ruto’s clarification now places Kenya outside the growing list of African countries partnering with the US on migrant deportations, at least for the moment.
