President William Samoei Ruto is in Washington, D.C. for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
He is expected to make a robust case for the expansion of trade between Kenya and the United States.
President Ruto will also be seeking to deepen the economic ties between the two countries during a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden.
“We will be pitching to American companies to scale up and direct their investments to Kenya now that we are aggressively pursuing pro-business policies,” explained President Ruto.
He noted that for the world to progress, Africa’s voice must be at the centre of that conversation.
A statement from the White House said the Summit will demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa.
“Africa will shape the future — not just the future of the African people, but of the world.”
President Ruto hosted the President of The Rockefeller Foundation Dr Rajiv Shah on the sidelines of the U.S.-Africa Summit.
The Head of State said the Ministry of Energy will collaborate with the Rockefeller Foundation to exploit the full potential of Kenya’s energy and contribute to making Kenya a clean green energy destination.
“We believe the full potential of our energy like wind and geothermal remains untapped due to insufficient investment in distribution and storage,” Ruto said.
Elsewhere, President Ruto held bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth at the Washington Convention Center on the sidelines of the ongoing U.S.-Africa Summit.
Ruto said Kenya is keen on increasing its trade relations with Mauritius as part of the intra-Africa trade strategy.
“The two countries will be signing a joint cooperation agreement in 2023 that will harmonise product standards and eliminate barriers such as double taxation,” he said.
Ruto also met Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Washington. Their talks centred on the entry of Kenya Airways to Djibouti and the lifting of visa requirements for citizens of the two countries.
“The Kenya-Djibouti cooperation is the bedrock of our shared prosperity and regional stability. We look forward to redesigning our priorities, based on our common values, to further innovation and all-inclusive growth for the socio-economic success of our citizens,” Ruto said.
The President also held a meeting with the CEO of Visa, Alfred F. Kelly Jr.
“Kenya recognises the crucial role that Visa continues to play in powering Diaspora remittances and investment. We welcome the company’s interest in partnering with the Hustler Fund to facilitate faster access,” Ruto said.
The President later engaged the Associate General Counsel for Microsoft Corporate, External and Legal Affairs, Microsoft Middle East and Africa Daniel Brown who expressed the firm’s willingness in expanding its investments in Kenya.
