President William Ruto of Kenya meets his US counterpart Joe Biden in Washington tomorrow, with the crisis in Haiti and efforts to build trade ties likely to top the deliberations.
Ruto’s visit, billed as historic one it is the first state visit by a Kenyan president to the US in two decades and the first by an African leader since 2008.
Thursday’s Biden-Ruto talks will major on security partnerships and trade.
Kenya’s has promised to lead a UN-backed multinational mission to end war in Haiti and the East African country offering to send 1,000 personnel,
US and other major nations have opted not send their own forces on the ground.
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Today, Ruto will hold a meeting with a Congressional delegation and he expected to request for the extension of a free trade agreement — the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) aimed at eliminating import tariffs on goods from eligible African nations.
The pact runs upto 2025, prompting leaders in the continent to seek clarity on future arrangements.
Most of the country’s imports are from China and it is one of its biggest bilateral creditors with Washington also interested to eat into Beijing’s clout in the region.
Kenya commenced talks with the US on a free trade agreement in 2020 but nothing has been arrived at.
CS for Trade Rebecca Miano said there were “very big opportunities” for investment in the country, adding “We have prepared more than 30 bankable projects worth over $20.5 billion to interest American investors and the Kenyan diaspora,” she told local media last week.”
However, a request for Ruto to address a joint session of Congress failed after House Speaker Mike Johnson of the Republican Party declined to extend an invitation and lawmakers from Biden’s Democratic Party accusing Johnson of disrespecting Africa, saying they were “extremely disappointed” by the decision.
Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the last African leader to address Congress the continent’s first female elected head of state, in 2006.
By Joseph Mambili
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