According to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, President William Ruto will not attend the Russia-Africa summit but will be represented by African Union organs.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mohammed said that the decision is consistent with the position of African Heads of State and Government, who believe that for Africa to engage in meaningful discussions with global partners, partnership summits organized by external parties must be reviewed to establish a practical framework for African Union partnerships.

"The President will therefore be represented in accordance with Decision 762, and he has informed the Chairperson of the AU accordingly," read part of the statement.

President Vladimir Putin will attend the summit, which will take place in St. Petersburg on Thursday and Friday.

He is anticipated to have lengthy one-on-one discussions with each African leader regarding trade, security, arms sales, and grain supply.

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It is part of a determined effort to gain influence and business on a continent where mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group continue to operate despite an aborted mutiny at home last month.

 The gathering comes after Moscow's inaugural Russia-Africa meeting in 2019.

Earlier this month, the state-run TASS news agency cited Russian envoy Alexander Polyakov as saying that 49 African delegations have confirmed their attendance, with nearly half of them being led by heads of state or government.