Ruto flies out for key meeting with US tech giants
President William Ruto left the country on Wednesday night for key meetings in the United States (US).
The Head of State is scheduled to visit Silicon Valley in San Francisco, where he will meet with tech leaders of Microsoft, Intel, Google and Apple, among others.
In a statement, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the visit is part of Kenya’s commitment to tech innovation and its pivotal role as a trade partner with the United States.
“The visit aims to enhance investment opportunities and trade relations with the United States, with a particular focus on nurturing Kenya’s thriving start-up sector known as the ‘Silicon Savannah,'” Mohamed said.
“The President will emphasise Kenya’s young talent, green energy initiatives and its value as an alternative supply chain for American companies.”
Thereafter, the President is also scheduled to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly session as well as participate in the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit in New York.
The first day of the high-level meeting will be on Tuesday, 19 September.
“The global gathering will assess progress towards the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), address critical global challenges such as the climate crisis and debt concerns in the Global South,” Mohamed added.
“Additionally, the Head of State will participate in the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit, building on the successes of the recently concluded Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.
“On the sidelines of the General Assembly, President Ruto will chair a session of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change and participate in discussions on the High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy. He will also hold bilateral meetings with world leaders.”
The Africa Climate Summit was held in Nairobi between 4-6 September.
The three-day event ended with a call for world leaders to act with urgency in reducing emissions, fulfilling its obligations, keep past promises and supporting the continent in addressing climate change effects.
The leaders urged the international community to back global taxes to fund climate action.
“We demand a fair playing ground for our countries to access the investments needed to unlock the potential and translate it into opportunities.
“We further demand a just multilateral development finance architecture, to liberate our economies from odious debt and onerous barriers to necessary financial resources,” the leaders said in a final statement dubbed: The Nairobi Declaration read by President Ruto at Kenyatta.