President Ruto to Meet Kenyans in the Diaspora in His US Visit This Month

President Ruto is later this month expected to travel to the United States where he will attend the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, which will be hosted by President Biden.

Ruto and other heads of state and leaders from across Africa will converge in Washington D.C. from December 13th to 15th for the summit, which aims to serve as a demonstration of the Biden administration’s commitment to the African continent and provide a forum for new joint initiatives between the US and African countries.

The summit will include new initiatives to increase US engagement with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as well as initiatives to boost the continent’s recovery from COVID-19, bolster food security and promote investment in infrastructure, health and renewable energy projects, among other priorities. 

The Biden administration is also expected to reiterate the need for African governments to address democracy and human rights concerns.

Approximately 50 heads of state and senior government officials from African countries are expected to attend the summit, according to senior White House officials.

During the visit, his second to the US since his inauguration in September, Ruto is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Kenyans in the US where he will underscore his agenda for the diaspora community.

Last month, Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua met Kenyans in Seattle, Washington, where he pledged that the government will improve their welfare.

"We plan, in time, to open more consulates in the US. One for the Midwest either in Chicago or Minneapolis, in the South either in Dallas or Atlanta and one in the Northwest in Seattle. We’ll also have mobile biometric kits to process passports, Huduma Namba and IDs in the US,"Mutua said.

Mutua said the missions will also offer trade and investment services for the diaspora to invest in Kenya and take advantage of the public-private partnership programs, mainly on affordable housing.