Kenyan President William Ruto is set to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington this week, marking the first state visit by a Kenyan president to the United States in two decades and the first by an African leader since 2008. The agenda is expected to be dominated by discussions on the crisis in Haiti and efforts to bolster trade ties.
Billed as “historic” by Ruto’s office in Nairobi, the Thursday talks will focus on trade and security partnerships, including Kenya’s commitment to lead a UN-backed multinational mission to restore order in Haiti. The Caribbean nation has been plagued by gang-fueled anarchy, and Kenya has pledged to send 1,000 personnel, with additional support from other countries. Despite this, major nations, including the United States, have ruled out deploying their own forces on the ground.
A contingent of Kenyan police is expected to depart for the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, this week, according to security sources. This deployment comes amidst a fresh court challenge in Nairobi against the mission, with a new lawsuit alleging that Ruto’s government is ignoring a January court order prohibiting the deployment as unconstitutional.
President Ruto has defended the mission as a “mission for humanity” in Haiti, the Western hemisphere’s poorest nation, which has long suffered from poverty, political instability, and natural disasters. However, funding remains a significant challenge. The United States has pledged over $300 million since the Haiti crisis intensified, but other nations have been slow to offer support.
Meron Elias, East and Southern Africa analyst at the International Crisis Group, noted that Ruto will urge the US to rally more financial support for the UN fund and seek greater US backing to curb the flow of arms into Haiti, particularly from ports in Florida.
Focus on Trade
Ruto’s visit began on Monday in Atlanta, Georgia, where he visited the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and emphasized the importance of democratic collaboration in tackling global challenges. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to visit Tyler Perry Studios to explore opportunities within the creative economy.
The Kenyan president will meet a Congressional delegation on Wednesday to advocate for the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade pact that eliminates import tariffs on goods from eligible African nations. The AGOA is set to expire in 2025, prompting African leaders to seek clarity on future trade arrangements.
Kenya’s trade relations with China, its largest source of imports and a major bilateral creditor, have been a focal point, with Washington keen to counter Beijing’s influence in the region. Talks on a free trade agreement between Kenya and the United States began in 2020 but remain unsigned. In 2022, the US exported goods worth $604 million to Kenya, while imports totaled $875 million.
Kenyan Trade Minister Rebecca Miano highlighted significant investment opportunities in Kenya, noting that more than 30 bankable projects worth over $20.5 billion have been prepared to attract American investors and the Kenyan diaspora.
Political Tensions
A request for Ruto to address a joint session of Congress was declined by House Speaker Mike Johnson, sparking criticism from Democratic lawmakers who accused Johnson of disrespecting Africa. The last African leader to address Congress was Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006.
The visit, coming after Biden’s unfulfilled promise to visit Africa last year, “feels a bit like a fig leaf” for Africa, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Kenyan historian Macharia Munene cautioned that Nairobi’s future relationship with Washington would depend on the outcome of the upcoming US presidential election.
Kenyan President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto arrived in Atlanta on Monday to begin the first segment of Kenya’s diplomatic engagement with the United States. In his speech at the Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Ruto emphasized the importance of democratic governance and civic engagement.
“I welcome President Ruto’s engagements with civic leaders on issues of democratic governance while in Atlanta, as well as his focus on our people-to-people ties, public health partnerships, educational exchanges, investments in shared prosperity, and his engagements with Atlanta’s African Diaspora,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.