President William Ruto is set to fly out to Beijing on Sunday evening for China for the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Ruto is among other heads of state who will attend the high-level summit that will focus on improving the China-Africa partnership.
The summit will take place in Beijing from September 4-6, 2024.
FOCAC is an official forum between China and all states in Africa with the exception of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
It is the primary multilateral coordination mechanism between African countries and China, and since 2018, it has been viewed by those countries as a cooperation platform within the Belt and Road Initiative.
The trip will mark Ruto’s first trip overseas since the country was hit by a wave of protests by the Gen Zs.
The president’s last trip outside Africa was during the inaugural Korea-Africa summit on June 4, 2024.
The youth-led protests, which began on June 18 as a call to abandon the unpopular Finance Bill 2024, saw Ruto dismiss his entire Cabinet and build a new one under a broad-based government.
Ruto’s only trip was when he attended the inauguration of President Paul Kagame in Kigali, Rwanda.
Speaking in Bungoma on Sunday, Ruto said he would leave the country later in the day to seek development prospects.
China and African countries are expected to hold discussions on partnerships in fields such as green energy, and internet connectivity, and also explore political alliances.
