President William Ruto has left the country for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will meet with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
According to a State House statement, President Ruto will also preside over the official launch of Safaricom Ethiopia in Addis Abeba.
The president was escorted out by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, nominee for Cabinet Secretary in charge of Defence Aden Duale, and Chief of Defence Forces Robert Kibochi, among others.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary nominee Dr Alfred Mutua and Principal Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau were also present at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – JKIA prior to the President’s departure.
Ruto, along with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, has been invited as a Guest of Honour.
The event will also be attended by Anwar Soussa, Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom Ethiopia, Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom PLC, and Michael Joseph, Chairman of Safaricom Ethiopia.
Ruto is expected to open the Safaricom outlet during his first state visit to Africa since taking office.
Commercial activities in Ethiopia will be part of the company’s regional expansion initiatives to provide world-class telecommunications services to over 112 million Ethiopians. Ethio Telecom, a state-owned company, currently dominates the country.
Safaricom has onboarded distributors, acquired four retail shop locations, and established Addis Abeba’s first outsourced call center, according to the company.
In May, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa stated that Safaricom Ethiopia intends to offer mobile finance services in Ethiopia.
The visit also coincides with the ongoing conflict between Ethiopian troops and the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF).
Former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Olusegun Obasanjo are slated to lead Ethiopia-Tigray peace talks in South Africa on Sunday.
