Kenya’s President William Ruto held discussions with a bipartisan group of senators on Capitol Hill. This meeting is part of Ruto’s three-day official visit to the United States, marking the first visit by an African leader in over 15 years. The visit comes amid increasing geopolitical competition from Russia and China across the African continent.
Republican Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, counseled Kenya for its critical role in preventing extremism. “We are really thankful for Kenya’s partnership in opposing extremists around the sector, participating to counter al-Shabaab and jihadist forces, and standing towards the Houthis within the Red Sea and other areas,” Johnson said. He also expressed the United States’ appreciation for Kenya’s efforts in supporting to maintain balance in Haiti and lauded President Ruto’s leadership in fighting corruption.
President Ruto emphasized the long-lasting bond among america and Kenya, describing it as “60 years of solid friendship,” especially in the areas of peace and safety. He highlighted the shared commitment to addressing safety demanding situations, noting, “For example, within the Horn of Africa, we are facing tremendous safety issues in Somalia.”
Ruto mentioned Kenya’s nearly two-decade-long warfare in opposition to the Islamist militant organization al-Shabaab. He confused the importance of ensuring that the drawdown of army troops does now not create a energy vacuum that could be exploited with the aid of al-Shabaab. “Our communique will recognition on the way to ensure that the withdrawal of troops is based totally on conditions in preference to a hard and fast timeline,” Ruto explained.
During his assembly with Speaker Johnson, President Ruto additionally addressed the monetary challenges posed with the aid of heavy debt burdens in Kenya and across Africa. He highlighted the importance of sustainable debt control and sought to percentage his concerns and perspectives on this important issue all through his US go to.
This go to underscores the strategic partnership between Kenya and the USA and the continuing collaboration in addressing each local and worldwide security challenges.