After a week-long development tour of the Western region, President William Ruto returned to the City to a whirlwind of activities which included meetings in and outside the country.
On Sunday, Ruto joined other leaders for a service at the Global Cathedral church in Nairobi.
During the same day, he hosted Algeria’s Special Envoy and Minister of Communication Mohamed Meziane at State House.
The envoy delivered a message from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Meziane was accompanied by Algeria's candidate for Vice-Chair of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Selma Hadadi.
Kenya and Algeria, Ruto said, have over the years, enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations, buttressed by mutual commitment to pan-Africanism and the need for the progress of our two nations.
“We will continue strengthening these ties to boost trade, investment and people-to-people contacts.”
Monday
He hosted some Africa heads of state and government for a meeting on Africa Union institutional reforms.
Those who attended the meeting were John Mahama (Ghana), Azali Assoumani (Comoros), Taye Atske Selassie (Ethiopia) and Umaro Sissoco Embaló (Guinea-Bissau). Also present was African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
They deliberated extensively on areas of reforms of the African Union, focusing on peace and stability, funding, the reform of the Pan-African Parliament and the African Court of Justice.
In his remarks, Ruto called for a united front in reforming the African Union to make it efficient and responsive in serving member states and the people of Africa effectively.
He said reforms of the African Union are key to unlocking the continent’s full potential.
He pointed out that a reformed African Union would serve as a bridge to prosperity for all African people.
“To this end, we must speak in one voice, act in unity and remain steadfast in our vision,” he said.
President Ruto was given the mandate to champion reforms of the African Union by fellows Heads of State last year.
The committee, he said, will help to drive the implementation of agreed reforms of various agencies, institutions and organisations.
Tuesday
Ruto flew to Tanzania where he joined other heads of state from the continent for the mission 300 Africa energy summit.
While in the Dar es Salaam, he held talks with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
During their talks, Amina expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in Eastern DRC, and sought support for the safety of staff working with the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).
“She expressed the UN's support for the regional efforts by the East African Community Heads of State to end the hostilities in Eastern DRC,” he said.
He also had an opportunity to meet Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah on the sidelines of the summit.
They duos discussed ways in which Kenya and the Rockefeller Foundation can work together to expand school feeding programmes and benefit more vulnerable learners.
Ruto highlighted that the the school feeding programmes have been instrumental in promoting improved health and learning outcomes, increased school attendance, and strengthened local food systems.
“Our aim is to double the close to three million learners who benefit from the various programmes run by the National Government, counties, and other partners,” he said.
Wednesday
Ruto jetted out to Egypt for a two-day State visit to Egypt.
The visit comes nearly six months after he postponed a scheduled trip to the North African country in June 2024 due to the widespread protests over the Finance Bill 2024.
Following the engagement with his host President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, some 12 agreements that expand the cooperation between the two countries in various sectors were signed.
These agreements are set to strengthen trade, investment, education and research, and technological exchanges, among others, unlocking immense opportunities for our two nations.
Kenya and Egypt have already signed the Joint Declaration for a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership.
“By appending my and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's signatures, we have elevated our relationship and strengthened our ties to boost our engagements in various fields,” Ruto said.
Egypt is an important trading partner for Kenya and the second largest tea importer, accounting for 14% of the total export volume.
Annually, Egypt imports an average 84 million kilogrammes of tea from Kenya worth about Sh21 billion.
The two countries are committed to diversifying trade, especially in agriculture, manufacturing, meat and meat products, horticulture and pharmaceuticals.
During the same day, he chaired a virtual Extra-Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State on the escalating conflict in DRC.
The leaders called for a cessation of hostilities and protection of diplomatic missions in the nation. President Félix Tshisekedi snubbed summit.
Thursday
The head of state met Kenyans living in the country where he expressed his appreciation to the Kenyan diaspora for their contributions to the country’s economy.
He acknowledged their in driving economic growth through remittances as well as their positive impact on Kenya’s reputation globally.
“Globally, Kenyans are renowned for hard work and innovation, and this explains the high demand for them in many parts of the world,” he said.
As a result, Kenyans in the diaspora are playing a crucial role in our economy, remitting more than $4.94 Billion in 2024.
As part of the visit, he also held talks with the chief executives of ElSewedy Electric led by President and CEO Ahmed Elsewedy, and Orascom Construction officials led by Managing Director Ihab Mehawed.
“We have stabilised our foreign exchange rate, made our foreign exchange reserves sufficient while the inflation rate has been fixed to its lowest levels,” said the head of state.
During the same day, he visited the New Capital Gardens City in Cairo where 1.027 million housing units have been built in under four years.
He was accompanied by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Cabinet secretaries Aden Duale, Lee Kinyanjui and Eric Mugaa.
Also accompanying were Principal Secretaries Charles Hinga, Paul Ronoh and other officials. AUC candidate Raila Odinga was also part of the trip.
Ruto wound up the tour by meeting senior officials of the AfriExim led by its President Benedict Orama.
In his address, he stated that Kenya will keep supporting African multilateral financial institutions so as to further integration and boost investments in Africa, especially in times of crisis.
“We believe this is the time to accord our continent the voice and visibility it deserves at the global stage.”
