President William Ruto on Monday, October 28, 2024, met Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William J Burns at State House, Nairobi.

The Head of State in a statement shared via his official social media accounts stated that peace and security in the East African region has significantly been boosted by the close collaboration between Kenya and her partners around the world.

Ruto on terrorism threat

Ruto noted that the collaboration has helped the country roll back the threat of terrorism, radicalisation, violent extremism and organised crime.

National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Noordin Haji also attended the meeting.

President Ruto, in his statement, gave further assurance that the leadership in the region will continue to remain vigilant against the destabilising crimes, and safeguard the gains of peace, stability, democracy and economic growth.

“Peace and security in our region has significantly been boosted by the close collaboration between us and our partners around the world. As a result, we have substantially rolled back the threat of terrorism, radicalisation, violent extremism and organised crime.

“The leadership in the region will continue to remain vigilant against these destabilising crimes and safeguard the gains of peace, stability, democracy and economic growth. Met Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William J Burns, State House Nairobi,” Ruto stated.

Peace and security in our region has significantly been boosted by the close collaboration between us and our partners around the world. As a result, we have substantially rolled back the threat of terrorism, radicalisation, violent extremism and organised crime.

The leadership… pic.twitter.com/NjxhIg6G9z

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 28, 2024

Collaboration with international agencies

The engagement between President Ruto and Director Burns reflects Kenya’s strengthening ties with international intelligence agencies to bolster security.

Under the partnership, Kenya and the United States have cooperated in the areas of intelligence sharing, capacity building for security agencies, and the establishment of preventive measures to combat radicalization and extremism.

The East African region has faced significant threats from terrorism, with Kenya’s proximity to conflict-ridden areas exacerbating these challenges.

Nonetheless, Kenya has made substantial progress in securing its borders, particularly through sustained counter-terrorism initiatives that have improved regional stability and resilience.

The country has also focused on de-radicalization efforts, especially among the youth, to curb recruitment by extremist groups.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

CIA  is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States of America, tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) collects, evaluates, and disseminates vital information on economic, military, political, scientific, and other developments abroad to safeguard national security.