NAIROBI, Kenya, May 17 — Kenya’s Foreign Office has described President William Ruto’s impending State Visit to the United States as an affirmation of the solid ties between the two nations.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei told Capital News on Friday the White House visit on May 23, at the invitation of President Joe Biden, highlights Kenya’s central role as a strategic partner and key voice in the region.
“It recognizes that Kenya is a solid partner of the United States,” Sing’Oei explained during an appearance on Capital In The Morning.
Sing’Oei who served as Ruto’s Legal Advisor during his term as Deputy President before his elevation to the Foreign Office in December 2022 singled out Kenya’s democratic credentials which he noted align with values espoused by the United States.
“We’ve had sixty years of reliable consistent engagement between our two countries, but aside from that, it recognizes Kenya’s values,” he explained.
“The values around democracy, rule of law, and good governance. Those values align very, very well with the United States,” Sing’Oei.
He noted that as part of his visit, President Ruto will showcase Kenya’s democratic credentials at the Carter Center in Atlanta, underscoring Kenya’s role as a bastion of democracy in the region.
The PS said Kenya intends to capitalise on the State Visit to amplify not just its position on key issues, including climate change and the push to reform the global financial architecture, but also project Africa’s voice.
“This visit is important because there is a measure of misunderstanding, misapprehension, and mischaracterisation of Africa. There is a mindset because, for a very long time, there has been a general thinking that Africa is a backward-looking continent as a continent of disease, wars and conflict,” he told Capital In The Morning.
“President Ruto will be arguing that if you are not looking to Africa as a continent that by 2050 will have a population of well over 1.5 billion people, you are looking at the wrong place,” Sing’Oei asserted.
Kenya’s credibility
Further, Sing’Oei said Biden’s gesture to Ruto, the first African leader accorded a State Visit under the Administration, signals Kenya’s recognition as a credible market.
“A state visit is a massive, mammoth platform through which Kenya can project to not only Africa but the rest of the world its credibility as a place where one can do business and prosper,” he said.
Sing’Oei noted as a recognition of where Kenya is vis-à-vis the US, the visit will signal to the market, investors, and friends of the US that Kenya is a safe space to invest.
He said Kenya will seek to further anchor its trade ties with Washington based on five key pillars, economic prosperity, trade and investment being one of the most critical to Nairobi.
The PS noted that technical teams from both countries were finalising negotiations for the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership which will further bolster economic ties.
US Visits Kenyan Leaders
| Visitor | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| President Daniel arap Moi | State visit. | February 19–22, 1980 |
| President Daniel arap Moi | Private visit en route to U.N. General Assembly. Met with President Reagan September 25. | September 24–26, 1981 |
| President Daniel arap Moi | Official Working Visit. Also visited New York City March 14. | March 11–14, 1987 |
| President Daniel T. arap Moi | Working visit. | December 4–6, 2002 |
| President Mwai Kibaki | State Visit. | October 5–7, 2003 |
| President Uhuru Kenyatta | Attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. | August 5–6, 2014 |
| President Uhuru Kenyatta | Working Visit. | August 25–27, 2018 |
| President Uhuru Kenyatta | Working Visit. | February 6, 2020 |
He noted the vital role of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in propelling Kenya to become a leading exporter of textiles from Sub-Saharan Africa.
“There is a need for this framework (AGOA) to be extended further,” Sing’Oei stressed.
The PS signaled that Ruto is keen to engage key policymakers on the extension.
During his visit, President Ruto will also hold high-level talks with congressional leaders
“He is holding three sessions with Congress and with the Senate,” Sing’Oei stated.
Ruto will also engage senior officials at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a public health agency headquartered in Atlanta.
Sing’Oei also hinted at a USD200 million expansion of Coca-Cola operations in Kenya.
