President William Ruto on Saturday, January 25, 2025, hosted Guinea-Bissau President Sissoco Embaló at the State House.

The Guinea-Bissau president was given a military reception at the official presidential residence to commence his two-day visit to the country.

President Embaló was accorded a 21-gun salute at the State House before he inspected a guard of honour mounted specially for visiting heads of state.

The West African head of state is in the country almost a year after Ruto visited Guinea-Bissau on April 4, 2024, for a three-day tour where he discussed social and economic areas of partnership between the two countries.

Cooperation areas

Among the issues discussed by Ruto and President Embaló were the establishment of direct flights between Kenya and Guinea-Bissau and the boosting of trade volumes between the two countries.

President Embaló arrived in Kenya on Friday, January 24, 2025, after completing a state visit in Uganda where he was hosted by President Yoweri Museveni at the Mayuge Presidential Farm.

“I had the pleasure of hosting His Excellency Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, at the Mayuge Presidential Farm. We engaged in discussions on various issues pertaining to both our countries and the continent. I welcome him warmly,” Museveni said in a statement on Friday, January 24, 2025.

Welcomed in Kenya

Embaló was welcomed in the country by the Cabinet Secretary for Sports and Youth Affairs Salim Mvurya at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as Ruto concluded his week-long tour of the Western region.

I had the honor of receiving and welcoming H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi this afternoon as the Escort of Honor. President Embaló’s two-day state visit to Kenya highlights the cordial and mutually beneficial bilateral relations between our nations,” Mvurya said.

President Embaló has previously met with Ruto and discussed the possibility of voting in favour of Kenya’s African Union Commission chairperson candidate Raila Odinga in February 2025.

Also, Ruto also met Embaló during the swearing-in ceremony of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in Accra.

Other high-profile dignitaries who attended the occasion were Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, President Adama Barrow of The Gambia, President Julius Maada Wonie Bio of Sierra Leone, and President Joseph Boakai of Liberia.