President William Samoei Ruto has been invited to address a joint session of Congress at the formal request of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States and Republican member of Congress Mike Johnson.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Member Gregory Meeks requested in the letter that President Ruto speak to the joint session of Congress on or around April 23.
"We are writing to respectfully request that you extend a formal invitation to the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, to address a joint session of Congress on his official visit to the United States," the members wrote.
President Ruto would be the first head of state from Kenya to address a joint session of Congress if he were invited.
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Additionally, he would be the first African head of state to address Congress since Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia, did so eighteen years prior.
"It is crucial for members of Congress to understand how Kenya's active participation in Africa's future and beyond is vital for peace and stability in the region and aligns with the broader economic and strategic interests of the United States," reads part of the statement.
This coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the United States and Kenya.
Kenya enjoys a high utilization rate of U.S. market access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), making the United States one of its main trading partners.
In addition, the US keeps a military outpost in Manda Bay, on the Indian Ocean, to aid in efforts to combat Al-Shabaab's terrorist threats. These are but a few instances of the strong bonds developed over the previous 60 years between our country and Kenya," the two continued.
