Whereas the United States and Kenya established diplomatic relations on May 23, 1964, after Kenya gained independence in 1963, and have since developed a strong and enduring bilateral partnership; Whereas bilateral engagement between the United States and Kenya expanded after Kenya’s historic 2002 general elections, when a coalition of opposition parties won a majority in both the presidential and parliamentary elections, ending decades of dominance by the Kenyan African National Union; Whereas Kenya took steps to bolster its democratic institutions in 2010, in the wake of the devastating post-election violence following the presidential election held on December 27, 2007, by adopting a transformative new constitution with a bill of rights and new checks and balances, including a more deliberate separation of government powers and the devolution of certain authorities to new county governments; Whereas Kenya has become one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economies, a regional hub for transportation and finance, and a cornerstone of stability and prosperity in East Africa; Whereas, in August 2018, the United States and Kenya formally elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership and established a corresponding bilateral strategic dialogue, prioritizing 5 pillars of engagement, including— (1) economic prosperity, trade, and investment; (2) defense cooperation; (3) democracy, governance, and civilian security; (4) multilateral and regional issues; and (5) public health cooperation; Whereas the United States is a major trading partner with Kenya, which is a leading beneficiary of preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunities Act ( 19 U.S.C. 3701 et seq. ) and a participant in the Prosper Africa initiative; Whereas the United States and Kenya entered bilateral negotiations on a future free trade agreement on July 8, 2020