President Xi Jinping congratulated President-elect William Ruto on Wednesday on his election as Kenyan president.
In a congratulatory message to the president-elect, Xi said that China and Kenya enjoy a time-honored friendship and that their cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results in recent years.
Noting that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Kenya relations, Xi said that he is willing to work with Ruto to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kenya to benefit the two nations and their peoples.
Ruto, 55, who now serves as Kenya’s deputy president, was declared the winner of Kenya’s presidential election by the head of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Aug 15.
In a televised address to the nation on Monday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Ruto pledged to transform the economy, ensure growth was shared evenly and unite the country.
Ruto awaits swearing-in on September 13 to become Kenya’s fifth president.
