DP Ruto Visits the White House

Deputy President William Ruto has announced that he will be visiting the White House on Thursday, as part of his US visit.

Mar 4, 2022 - 14:57 Updated: Mar 4, 2022 - 15:07

In a statement through his campaign Director of Communications, Hussein Mohamed, Ruto will have a meeting with US National Security Council.

"The Deputy President will later today visit the White House for a meeting at the National Security Council," read the statement.

However, according to the White House schedule, the deputy president's meeting does not feature anywhere.

Kenya’s Deputy President Dr. William Ruto & former Vice President Musalia Mudavadi led a delegation that was hosted at the White House in Washington DC today, in a closed door meeting where issues of strategic partnership between U.S.A & Kenya were discussed, including… pic.twitter.com/gpAmmxjC21
— Hussein Mohamed, MBS. (@HusseinMohamedg) March 4, 2022

The DP left the country on Sunday for a 12-day tour of the US, UK, and Qatar.

The statement further noted that the US has committed to safeguarding the democracy of Kenya in the August 9, General Elections.

This followed a meeting between Ruto and the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Molly Phee in Washington DC.

"Dr. Ruto together with his Kenya Kwanza Team counterpart Musalia Mudavadi further committed to a peaceful election on their part while assuring the U.S of a steady and robust partner in the bilateral relations between the two countries," said the statement.

"He further underscored Kenya’s position as an anchor state for peace and stability in the East and Horn of Africa region but cautioned against political and economic exclusion that threatens the country’s revered status in the region, two issues he termed as core in the August 2022 election."

Speaking in the US on Wednesday, DP Ruto claimed that Kenyan democracy is under threat from state functionaries which he didn’t name.

“We would have expected that we would be able to do this [election] without all the baggage of blackmail and intimidation that is going on at the moment, but unfortunately that is where we are,” Ruto said.