President William Ruto is set to leave the country for Arusha Tanzania, on Friday, where he will attend the 24th Ordinary Summit of the East African Heads of State.
The summit brings together regional leaders to address key challenges facing the East African Community (EAC).
During the meeting, the leaders also discuss strategies to accelerate economic integration, strengthen the region's resilience to climate change, and address insecurity.
During his stay in Arusha, Ruto is scheduled for a flurry of activities and meetings where he will advocate for the removal of trade barriers, and boosting of cross-border commerce.
He will also call for the enhancement of partnerships in energy, agriculture, and digital innovation to create jobs and improve livelihoods within the bloc.
“Leaders will also discuss measures to promote peace and security, including combating transnational crime, managing borders, and resolving conflicts.
“Key initiatives, such as the South Sudanese Tumaini Initiative and the EAC-led Nairobi Process on the restoration of peace and security in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, will feature prominently in the discussions,” a communique from State House Spokesperson Mohamed Hussein reads in part.
The president is also expected to hold bilateral talks with regional leaders who will be taking part in the summit.
These meetings will be held on the sidelines of the summit.
On Friday afternoon, Ruto will take part in an interactive session that will form part of the celebration of the East African Community's 25th anniversary and its milestones in the journey towards political federation.
The EAC Headquarters are based in Arusha, Tanzania, where most of its activities are carried out.
President Ruto in his address during the 9th annual African Special Economic Zones meeting held at KICC, Nairobi on Thursday, said the meeting will also focus on improving the bloc’s business environment.
“Tomorrow in Arusha the Heads of State of the EAC will be
meeting and among the targets we will be looking at is how to improve the
business environment, how to integrate our economies more and the item of SEZ
that was agreed on by ministers will be approved at the summit,“ Ruto said
