United States President Joe Biden on Thursday, May 23, hosted his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto with the largest state dinner of his presidency.
This marked the first time since 2008 that an African leader was invited to a state dinner, with the last being Ghana's John Kufour who was hosted by former president George Bush.
The event was the sixth state dinner Biden has hosted since he became president.
From former presidents to musicians and commissioners, the state dinner involved a list of over 500 guests invited to the dinner.
These included former president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, former president Barack Obama and commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell among others.
President Ruto and his wife were the guests of honour as the event began with a cocktail reception on the White House terrace.
Thereafter, they were invited to a pavilion erected on the White House lawn which featured over 1,000 candles, and 15,000 layered metallic strips to amplify the candlelight.
The Guests were served a three-course meal - the first involving a chilled heirloom tomato soup featuring sourdough crisps and arbequina olive oil.
The main course for the state dinner involved a combination of poached lobster and smoked beef short ribs.
The final course was the white chocolate basket which involved banana ganache, raspberries peaches and lime zeist.
Country star Brad Paisley and Howard Gospel Choir provided the entertainment during the acclaimed event. The music selection was selected to honour Ruto's love for country music and gospel.
The meticulous planning of the event symbolised the strong alliance between the two nations.
The state dinner came hours after both leaders announced new investment deals as they sought to deepen their ties.
