Biden welcomes Kenya's leader as US under pressure in Africa

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Alex Vines, head of the Africa Programme at Chatham House think-tank in London, pushes back on the perception that Western power is fading in Africa.

"One African leader said to me: 'we get tired of a Chinese buffet, we'd like to go a la carte, we want choice,' " he says.

"So, I do think what we're increasingly seeing is [that] plenty of African countries want a bit of the United States, but they will want a bit of Russia or UAE or Turkey."

The challenge is "patchy African leadership" with ambitious, long-term vision that can make the most of the competition,

President Ruto is seen as one of the figures who can, but all, including Niger, have options.

"There is a game of chess going on," Dr Vines says, "There is a scramble for Africa. The difference is that the chess board, the African continent is alive, it's not passive it can such people in and really surprise them."