President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto will visit Atlanta, Georgia from May 20 to 21 ahead of a state visit to the White House.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has officially extended a warm welcome to the Kenyan leader stating that it was an honour and privilege to host him in a few weeks.
“The City of Atlanta is proud to announce the May 20-21, 2024, visit of President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of the Republic of Kenya…On behalf of our great city, it is our honor to welcome President and First Lady Ruto to Atlanta,” Dickens said in a statement. “I look forward to learning how we can further strengthen our cultural and economic partnerships, as well as joining fellow leaders in providing the world-class hospitality for which Atlanta is renowned.”
The mayor’s office further said the visit reflects Atlanta’s “vibrant growth and global importance” and “will strengthen partnerships in business, technology and innovation, education and with the African Diaspora.”
“Mayor Dickens looks forward to welcoming President Ruto for this historic visit that will forge a new relationship between Atlanta and the Republic of Kenya built upon shared goals and opportunities for both the American and Kenyan people,” his office said.
The Kenyan president will meet with civic leaders and luminaries from Atlanta’s global services industries, creative economy and international health institutions.
He and Dickens will also discuss “strategies in the development of affordable housing.”
US Congress
Ruto and Rachael will then travel to Washington, D.C., where they’ll meet with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House on May 23 to mark 60 years of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Kenya.
The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has put in a formal request to Speaker Mike Johnson to invite Kenyan President William Ruto to address a joint session of the Congress.
President William Ruto could make history in the United States if a request to the Speaker is granted.
He 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 eighteen years ago.
