President William Ruto is set to depart Nairobi for the 79th United Nations General Assembly summit in New York, United States.

In a communication from the State House on Friday, September 20, 2024, Ruto is set to attend the high-level event bringing together world leaders to address critical international issues, with a particular emphasis on sustainable development, global governance and climate action.

“President Ruto will advocate comprehensive and accelerated reforms of multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, to ensure they remain relevant to current urgent challenges,” the statement read in part.

State House disclosed that Ruto will call for the review of the multilateral system, highlighting its inability to effectively address Interrelated crises such as climate change, the debt burden, complex conflicts and the erosion of democratic governance during his US visit.

Similarly, his itinerary will also involve meeting UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss Kenya’s role as host of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the ongoing capital project at the UN Office in Nairobi and the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti where Kenya has taken a critical role in promoting peace and security.

“As a leading voice in Africa, President Ruto’s interventions will reflect the continent’s broader concerns, particularly in climate change, financial reforms and technological governance. He will continue to push for greater African representation in global institutions, including the UN Security Council and the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” the statement added.

Ruto on digital economy

During the summit, Ruto is also expected to address the challenges Kenyans face in the digital space including promoting inclusion in the digital economy and ensuring that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data governance are managed equitably.

The visit comes just days after Ruto completed his tour of Germany where signed a bilateral agreement with the German government on labour migration.

While the German government disputed the number of Kenyans set to benefit from the deal that was earlier quoted by Ruto, they confirmed that the deal was in place.

The deal is set to see Kenyans travel to Germany and enrol in schools and also get an opportunity to work during their stay in the country.

Ruto said that Germany had a deficit of workforce while Kenya had an oversupply and that the deal would ensure both countries mutually benefit from the deal.