President William Ruto’s four-day visit to the United States will be jam-packed with events as he looks to advocate for more investment in Kenya.
Hussein Mohamed, Statehouse spokesperson, said on Sunday that Ruto will travel from Monday, May 20, to Thursday, May 23, when he will meet with President Joe Biden.
Ruto is scheduled to visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, “to emphasise the two countries’ shared commitment to governance and anti-corruption efforts”.
He is then expected to pay homage to the civil rights movement at Ebenezer Baptist Church before proceeding to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters to discuss the US-Kenya health partnership.
The day will conclude with Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto being hosted by the Kenyan diaspora in Atlanta.
On Tuesday, while still in Atlanta, Ruto will begin his day by visiting Spelman College to highlight the importance of higher education, particularly in science and technology, in attracting investment.
He will then visit Tyler Perry Studios to examine potential in the creative sector before heading to the Coca-Cola company to make new investments.
He will also open Vivo’s first store and, with Rachel Ruto, attend a dinner thrown by Andre Dickens, the state’s mayor.
Ruto will then fly to Washington, DC, on Wednesday, where he would receive “full ceremonial state honors” before meeting with a congressional delegation and holding discussions on Capital Hill.
On Thursday, Ruto and Reachel will lay a wreath at Arlington Cemetery to honor deceased American soldiers and historical figures, followed by a bilateral meeting with President Biden to discuss development opportunities.
Mohamed said that the gracious invitation comes amid warm relations between the two nations owing to the fostered partnership in critical thematic areas, among them defence cooperation, free democracy, governance and civilian security, health corporations, and multilateral and regional issues.
“It also reflects the strategic importance of Kenya to the US as the leading regional anchor and the main commercial gateway to East Africa,” he said.
Ruto’s US visit, according to Mohamed, is the first state visit made by a Kenyan head of state in two decades and the first made by an African president since 2018.
