US First Lady Jill Biden Arrives in Kenya for a Three-Day Visit

United States First Lady Dr. Jill Biden on Friday afternoon arrived in Kenya for a three-day official State visit aimed at strengthening partnerships and advancing shared priorities between the two countries.

The Executive One Foxtrot (EXEC1F) airplane carrying Dr. Biden touched the ground at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi at 4.30 pm local time.

She was received at the airport by her Kenyan counterpart Rachel Ruto, and top officials of both countries including US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman and EAC Affairs Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano.

Dr. Biden arrived in Nairobi from Namibia where she made her first stop for her five-day visit to Africa.

The US first lady will commence her visit with a close-door meeting with Rachel Ruto at State House, Nairobi, later this evening.

On Saturday, she will have a series of engagements including a visit to JoyFul Women (JoyWo), a table banking initiative spearheaded by Mrs. Ruto to empower women across the country.

In a statement ahead of her arrival, the US Embassy in Nairobi said Dr. Biden’s visit will feature discussions on women empowerment and food security.

“Dr. Biden’s engagements will focus on the empowerment of women and youth, efforts to address food insecurity, and promoting our Shared democratic values,” the US Embassy said on Wednesday.

The embassy noted that the visit is a follow-up of the US-Africa Leader’s Summit in November 2022 where Dr. Biden hosted a two-day program with spouses of African leaders including Kenyan First Lady Rachel Ruto.