US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman on Wednesday, May 15, revealed various engagements President William Ruto will undertake during his State visit to the United States on May 23.
According to the diplomat, the State visit will be monumental for the country and will feature in-depth engagement between the two presidents and other government officials.
Whitman explained that the State visit differs from other visits as it is the highest honour any leader can be accorded by a US President.
To commence his visit, Ruto is expected to be in Atlanta for two days. During his stay in Atlanta, he will engage the business community as they seek to lure American companies to set shop in Kenya.
"The President is going to Atlanta for two days. He will have a number of different engagements there. Atlanta is one of the biggest cities and is home to many companies.
"It is a technology hub and a creative economy hub. A lot of the Los Angeles film, television and music has moved there. So Atlanta is a very vibrant part of the country and we thought it was good to go there," she stated.
Later on, Ruto is set to travel to Washington DC where he will be hosted by President Joe Biden.
At the US Capital, Ruto's cabinet and that of Biden will engage on various bilateral arrangements. Afterwards, a State dinner will be hosted at the White House.
"The State visit is the highest honour that a country and Head of State can have. It has all the formalities of a dinner at the White House.
"There will be 300 to 400 people at the dinner. It is a very formal and a big honour," she detailed.
According to the White House Historical Association, State visits also involve a lot of pomp and colour including an arrival ceremony, diplomatic talks, a State Dinner, and entertainment in the East Room.
Ruto's State visit to the US will be the sixth and last State visit to be hosted by Biden in his first term as the US heads to the election in November.
Notably, Ruto's visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Kenya-US relations.
