President William Ruto held a virtual meeting with American Billionaire Bill Gates on Monday evening alongside key officials of the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation.
According to Ruto, the meeting was centred around the organisation's work in Kenya which he indicated had transformed many lives.
Key among the areas Ruto stated the government was keen on working Gates Foundation was climate change - an agenda he has been championing on the global stage.
Notably, Ruto's meeting with Gates and his representatives comes days as he plans to hold African leaders for the inaugural Africa Climate Summit from September 4 - 6.
"We laud the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for its role in transforming lives in Kenya. We undertake to work together in tackling the climate change crisis for the prosperity of all," Ruto stated.
Also present at the meeting was Rodger Voorhies who is president of the foundation's Global Growth & Opportunity Division. Voorhies leads the organisation's work in dealing with climate change.
Cheikh Oumar Seydi who leads the foundation’s work in Africa also joined the meeting.
The duo's presence at the meeting is seen as a strategy for the foundation which is set to build a regional hub in the country. The offices will be located in Nairobi.
Already the establishment of the headquarters was ratified by the cabinet on June 27 after Ruto and Gates held talks over the same in November 2022.
"The importance of working with the private sector in the areas of Universal Healthcare informed the decision to host the Gates Foundation," read the June Cabinet dispatch.
The Kenyan headquarters has been earmarked to oversee the organisation's work in agriculture and ICT.
Its exact location in Nairobi and the timelines for the construction are yet to be made public.
