President William Ruto has departed the country for New York to attend the High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Ruto, who will be making his first trip to the US since President Donald Trump’s win, will be meeting other global leaders who will converge in New York for high-level meetings.

His trip was announced by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed through a public communique late at night on Saturday, September 20, 2025.

Ruto’s itinerary

“At the 80th UNGA, the President will reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to multilateralism, advocate for reforms of the global financial system, and call for fair access to development finance for developing countries,” the State House communique read in part.

In New York, Ruto is expected to push for reforms of the United Nations to make it more inclusive and to address global peace and security challenges, including enhancing peace efforts in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Haiti.

President Ruto will participate in the Committee of Ten (C-10) Summit, where he will champion Africa’s position on UN Security Council reform and emphasise cooperation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Share lessons on Haiti

During the UNGA session, Ruto and the Kenyan team will host a high-level side event on Haiti to share lessons learned since the deployment of troops under the Multinational Security Support Mission, aimed at informing the next steps in global security efforts.

Ruto is expected to also push to know the fate of the Kenyan troops serving in Haiti, whose tenure is nearing the end. He is also expected to push for more funding for the mission.

As Chair of the African Union’s Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), Ruto will convene deliberations to consolidate Africa’s position and rally leaders ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

The President will also host a High-Level Breakfast on Affordable Housing, with more than 30 Heads of State and Government expected to attend, positioning housing as a pillar of social transformation.

“Additionally, he will hold bilateral talks with global leaders, development partners, and industry executives to advance Kenya’s interests, attract investment, and secure partnerships in key sectors such as agriculture, technology, infrastructure, and energy under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda,” the statement added.

Grammy’s partnership

In August 2025, Ruto announced that he would use the trip to engage with the Recording Academy, the organisers of the Grammy Awards, to advance discussions on establishing world-class recording studios in Kenya.

He noted that this would set in motion the journey towards eventually hosting an African edition of the Grammys in Nairobi.

“Earlier this year, we hosted the inaugural US-Kenya Creative Economy Forum, a milestone whose impact will soon be felt across the industry,” Ruto remarked.

“Next month, in the United States, I will meet with the Recording Academy, organisers of the Grammy Awards, to fast-track plans for establishing world-class studios here in Kenya and to set in motion the journey towards eventually hosting an African edition of the Grammys in Nairobi.”