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Joe Biden to host Ruto at White House in May

President William Ruto with the First Lady Mama Rachel and the US President Joe Biden with First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday, December 15,2022. (PCS)

By Mwangi Maina | Friday, February 16, 2024

The visit will mark the 60th anniversary of Nairobi-Washington ties.

Kenyan leader William Ruto will be hosted by his American counterpart Joe Biden on May 23 for a state visit aimed at enhancing ties between the two countries, the White House announced on Friday.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the visit will mark the 60th anniversary of Nairobi-Washington ties and celebrate a partnership between the two countries.

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"It will strengthen our shared commitment to advance peace and security, expand our economic ties, and stand together in defence of democratic values," Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

This high-level visit to Washington DC will be the first of a kind from an African leader since 2008.

The invitation highlights the growing camaraderie between President Ruto and Washington officials, signifying the United States' recognition of the guest nation as an important ally.

A state visit is the highest level of diplomatic exchange between two countries, and Nairobi and Washington will affirm the strategic partnership and further the vision set forth at the US-Africa Leaders' Summit.

In response to the invitation, Ruto expressed gratitude and stated that the visit would offer an opportunity for the two governments and nations to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations.

These relations began at the dawn of Kenya's independence from colonial rule, marking the birth of a free, open, and democratic sovereign state.

"I look forward to engaging with President Biden on a broad range of matters of mutual interest to our nations, not just in terms of sectors of economic, political and diplomatic spheres of endeavour, but also with respect to our shared commitment to the fundamental values which define the strong policy convergence and robust strategic alignment of our enterprises, peoples and governments," Ruto said.

During his visit to the White House, Ruto will not only receive a 21-gun salute and an official military welcome, during which he will inspect a guard of honor, but he will also engage with top American officials on critical matters.

These discussions will include the Haiti deployment, which Washington is attempting to expedite.

This week, officials from Kenya and Haiti convened in Washington DC to work on a memorandum of understanding aimed at facilitating the long-awaited deployment of Kenyan police forces.