Kenya's Ruto set to address US Congress

The US House of Congress Foreign Affairs Committee has requested the Speaker to invite President William Ruto to address a joint session on his official visit to the US this month. It was requested via a letter dated 30 April, and addressed to Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson by members of the committee. Ruto would be the first Kenyan President to address a joint session of Congress, and the first African head of state to address Congress since former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 18 years ago, a report in The Star notes. Such an invitation, the committee said, would underscore the importance of the US-Kenya relationship and send a valuable signal to Africans. The two nations are celebrating the historic 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relationship. The committee noted that Kenya has the largest, most diversified economy and a young and growing population. ‘It also has a young, ambitious and well-educated workforce eager to contribute to the development of the country.’ These factors, the committee said, have helped the country become a leader in mobile money and information and communication technology. The US-Kenya relations continue to deepen, encompassing strong political, economic, technological and cultural ties. Additionally, the US is among Kenya's largest trading partners and the latter is one of Africa's most dynamic economies, boasting a top utilisation rate of the US market access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

Full report in The Star