In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary…
- President Ruto reached out to U.S. President-elect Trump to discuss strengthening Kenya-U.S. ties, focusing on trade, security, and governance.
- Ruto also updated Trump and Secretary of State Blinken on Kenya’s mission in Haiti, exploring support options and a potential transition to a U.N. peacekeeping mission.
President William Ruto has reached out to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to explore potential areas for strengthening Kenya-U.S. relations.
This outreach follows Trump’s recent election victory, which has cast uncertainty over Kenya’s ongoing trade and investment deals initiated during President Joe Biden’s administration.
In their conversation, Ruto highlighted areas of mutual interest, such as trade, investment opportunities, security, and good governance.
He also updated Trump on Kenya’s leadership role in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, which began in June and aims to curb gang violence in the region.
The Biden administration had supported this mission with a pledge of up to Ksh.38.5 billion, but with Trump’s impending leadership, the operation’s future could be at risk.
“I have had a telephone conversation with U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump. I congratulated him on his election as the 47th President of the United States,” Ruto shared.
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“We discussed areas of mutual interest that are of benefit to the citizens of our two countries, including trade and investment, security, and good governance.”
In addition to briefing Trump, Ruto has also been working tirelessly to secure the U.S. as a key ally in bilateral agreements.
He recently engaged with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the future of the Haiti mission and the possibility of transitioning it into a United Nations peacekeeping mission, which would address financial challenges and bolster mission stability.
“I have had a constructive conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti,” Ruto noted.
“We discussed the transition of the mission into a U.N. peacekeeping operation to enhance its ability to stabilize Haiti.”