President William Ruto has left the country for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he is expected to hold bilateral talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
According to a statement issued by the State House, President Ruto is also expected to preside over the official launch of Safaricom Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.
The president was seen off by among others, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the nominee for Cabinet Secretary in charge of Defence Aden Duale, and the Chief of Defence Forces, Robert Kibochi.
Also present at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport - JKIA, before the President's departure were Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary nominee Dr Alfred Mutua and Principal Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau.
Upon his arrival, Ruto was received by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the Bole International Airport.
From photos shared by State House, Ruto was accompanied by Kapsaret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi, CS-designate for the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum Davis Chirchir and Duale among others.
The visit also comes amid the ongoing war between Ethiopian troops and the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF).
Talks about the ongoing Tigray conflict are expected to take centre stage in the meeting between the two leaders.
Earlier on, President Ruto had affirmed that his administration would play an active role in spearheading the peace talks between the region.
Already, the African Union has organized high-level talks in South Africa on the protracted conflict, with Kenya's former President Uhuru Kenyatta set to be part of the mediators.
Notably, President Ruto had earlier in the week held talks with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the role of Kenya in the Tigray and Ukraine conflict.
Ruto is also on record stating that the conflict in Ethiopia is concerning to Kenya as it affects the entire region’s security.
Speaking during an interview with France 24 in September, Ruto stated that the situation called for urgent action from different stakeholders.
From Ethiopia, Ruto is expected to proceed to Uganda for the annual celebrations of Independence day after an invitation by President Yoweri Museveni.
In what appears to be a fully booked diary, Ruto will on Monday head to Tanzania and hold talks with President Samia Suluhu.
