President William Ruto has been out of the country for more than a week after he left and led Kenya’s delegation to the just concluded 79th UN General Assembly.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oeí termed the trip as successful.
After departing New York, he and some of his team flew to Dubai on September 27 where he has been holed up for undisclosed businesses.
He had not left there on Sunday September 29 amid heightened political temperatures at home.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been taking the blame of his planned impeachment to Ruto saying it is only him who can stop or sanction it.
More than 200 Members of Parliament have signed a petition to impeach Gachagua for among others claims of corruption and money laundering.
Ruto’s absence from home is raising concerns.
According to Sing’oeí, Ruto’s trip was a success. He said Ruto among others visited Port au Prince to boost morale of Kenya’s Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and meet Haitian leadership before he also met both the Presidential Council chair and Prime Minister on the sidelines of UNGA 79.
“He consolidated common approach for the extension of MSS mandate and timelines,” said the PS.
He added Ruto met the president of Finland and agreed to take relations to the next level, met the Crown Prince of Kuwait, met the UK Prime Minister, met Jamaica’s Prime Minister and South African president.
He also met Angola President, US Secretary of State, Indonesia’s Prime Cabinet Minister, UN Secretary General, the Director General World Food Program and the Director General International Atomic Energy Agency.
During the trip to New York, Ruto hosted the Steering Committee of the Africa Green Industrialization Initiative AGII, a flagship initiative of the Africa Climate Summit.
He also attended by private sector and government members of the committee including David Lammy, UK Foreign Secretary and delivered a keynote address to private sector actors during a breakfast co-hosted by KEPSA and Corporate Council on Africa.
He further delivered a keynote address at a breakfast hosted by AUDA Nepad and hosted the Committee of Africa Heads of States on Climate Change to cohere Africa’s common position for COP 29.
Ruto also hosted with UNEP and Norway PM, a side event on halting plastic pollution and accelerating negotiation on a permanent treaty to regulate plastic pollution and attended and spoke at a meeting convened by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on maternal and child mortality in Africa.
“Also attended by presidents of Liberia, Sierra Leone and WHO Director-General.”
Ruto delivered the country statement on the Pact of the Future and on UNGA 79.
While in New York, he attended the Academy of Achievement Dinner where Kenya’s track super performers Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet were feted and introduced President Nana Akofu-Addo of Ghana at a reception hosted in his honor by the Atlantic Council.
He later attended President Biden’s dinner hosted in honor of heads of state and governments at UNGA 79.
And after the series of weeklong events, Ruto flew to Dubai and no statement has been released on his mission there.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874
