Historic moment: Push on for Ruto to address US Congress
The United States House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (Republican, Texas) and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (Democrat, New York) have sent a letter to Speaker of the US Congress Mike Johnson requesting a formal invitation to President William Ruto to address a joint session of Congress on his official visit to Washington this month.
“We are writing to respectfully request that you extend a formal invitation to the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, to address a joint session of Congress on his official visit to the United States,” wrote the members.
“If invited, President Ruto would be the first Kenyan head of state 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.
Such an invitation would underscore the importance of the US-Kenya relationship and send a valuable signal to the people of Africa.
Read also: Kenya can be the Singapore of Africa — Meg Whitman
“This year, we are celebrating the historic 60-year anniversary of the US-Kenya diplomatic relationship. Such an invitation would underscore the importance of the US-Kenya relationship and send a valuable signal to the people of Africa.”
At the moment, nearly 100,000 Kenyan-Americans call the United States home. Moreover, East Africa’s largest economy offers the United States an overseas military base at Manda Bay, on the Indian Ocean, to support operations to counter terrorist threats from Al-Shabaab.
These are just some examples of the close ties forged between our nation and Kenya over the past six decades.
President Ruto is set to visit the White House on May 23 at the invitation of his US counterpart Joe Biden to “celebrate a partnership that is delivering for the people” of both nations, explained Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in February.
It “will strengthen our shared commitment to advance peace and security, expand our economic ties, and stand together in defense of democratic values,” Jean-Pierre added.
In February 2022, US First Lady Dr Jill Biden visited Kenya during her five-day tour of the African continent.
