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# 									NSC Preview of the Upcoming State Visit of President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya							

FPC Briefing

Dr. Frances Brown, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 11:00 a.m. ET

Washington, D.C.

May 21, 2024

## 								Summary							

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In this on-the-record briefing,Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs Dr. Frances Browndiscussesthe upcomingstatevisit ofPresident William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya.
   

**THE WASHINGTON FOREIGN PRESS CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.**

**MODERATOR:**  Good morning, and welcome to the Washington Foreign Press Center. My name is Zina Wolfington, and thank you for joining us today.

Today’s briefing is a preview of the upcoming state visit of President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya.  The briefing is on the record, and we will post a transcript and video of the briefing on our website, fpc.state.gov, later today.  For the journalists joining us on Zoom, please take a moment now to rename yourself in the chat window with your name, outlet, and country.  And with that, it is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Frances Brown, special assistant to the President and senior director for African affairs, to provide her opening remarks.  Over to you.

**MS BROWN:**  Great, thank you so much.  And it’s a real pleasure to be with all of you today.  I know this is a first time to meet many of you, so really happy to be here, and thank you to the Foreign Press Center for having me.

So as you likely all know, on Thursday the President and First Lady will welcome to the White House President Ruto and First Lady Ruto of Kenya for an official visit that will include a state dinner.  We are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations with Kenya this year.

It’s impossible to meet today’s defining challenges without African contributions and leadership, so this visit recognizes that Kenya has moved from a partner working with us on regional issues to a partner working with us on global solutions.  We’re really excited about that.

Also during this visit, the President is acknowledging Kenya’s global role in peace and security, including Kenya raising its hand to lead the mission in Haiti, as well as its principled stand on supporting Ukraine.  We’re also working together to tackle shared challenges on climate and health, as well as to address the mounting debt burdens facing developing countries.

A few themes that I’d like to just highlight for the visit.  The first is that we’ve got a mutual conviction that democracy delivers for citizens and that democracy must deliver for citizens.  Even as our two presidents meet as part of this visit, this visit will also feature mayors, sub-national officials, governors, parliamentarians, opposition officials, civil society.  This underscores for us that our democracies are far bigger than any one person or institution.

I’d also note that this visit is also about leveraging the private sector to meet global challenges.  Both Kenya and the United States are engines for innovation.  Our trade and investment partnership is driving shared prosperity, and we are really excited to move that part of the relationship forward as part of this visit.  I’d note that Kenya – the United States is one of Kenya’s largest export markets, and we have a balanced two-way trade of 1.3 billion annually.

For those of you who may have been following, you’ll know that the visit actually started yesterday in Atlanta when the Kenyan delegation touched down here in the United States.  During that – the Atlanta portion of the visit, President Ruto is meeting with city and state leaders, civil society, industry leaders, as well as launching and extending some longstanding collaborations in health and education.

I’ll briefly just turn to some of the areas where we – you can expect more deliverables and more announcements from our leaders in the coming days.  So first, we will continue to bolster our coordination on global issues.  So certainly peace and security, which I mentioned before; also climate change; also health.  We will be increasing our support to criminal justice programs and to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation with Kenya.   We’ll also announce some programs to expand health manufacturing capability in Kenya that will serve both Africa and the rest of the world.  We will make clean energy industrialization a key part of our bilateral partnership.

Another portion of the visit will focus on debt issues, and so you can expect that President Biden and President Ruto to address their shared vision on how countries can step up their support to developing countries who are also servicing large debt obligations.  Another theme you can see is that the state visit will highlight new partnerships to protect independent civil society, strengthen political engagement, and combat corruption.

Next you can also expect to see some announcements on significant trade and investment opportunities in the digital and emerging technology fields, securing the global supply chain for ICT projects, and improving cyber security.  These efforts collectively demonstrate our commitment to supporting Kenya’s leadership in digital security and the development in the future.  Finally, I’ll note that we’ll announce new initiatives to help educate and support the next generation of leaders and visionaries, including new programs for Kenyan students, researchers, and faculty travelling to United States, with a heavy focus on STEM fields.

For those of you who have been following for a long time, you know that the Biden-Harris  administration articulated a new vision for 21st century U.S.-African partnership through our Strategy towards Sub-Saharan Africa.  We see this visit as building on that.  We also see this visit as building on the 2022 Africa Leaders Summit.  Since that time, since that summit, a historic number of U.S. Government senior officials and cabinet members have traveled to the continent, including many heads of state and agencies.  We are looking forward to continue to build on this, and I look forward to your questions.

**MODERATOR:**  Thank you for those remarks.  We will start the Q&A session now.  For those of you in the room, if you have a question, please raise your hand and wait for to be called on, and please state your name and media outlet.  For journalists joining us via Zoom, please be sure your screen name includes your name and media outlet.

And first, we will take a question from journalists in the room.  Fraser.

**QUESTION:**  Hi.  Thank you for doing this, Doctor.  Fraser Jackson from France 24.  I just wanted to ask a couple of things.  Firstly, how key a country is Kenya as the U.S. seeks to counterbalance Russian and Chinese influence on the continent?  And are you seeing this visit by Ruto as a symbol for a wider U.S. approach to the continent?

**MS BROWN:**So yeah, I think we see Kenya as important on its own terms, and because of some of the similarities and complementarities that I mentioned that – but I’ll just expand on a little bit.  So we see Kenya important because it’s a pillar of democracy in East Africa.  President Ruto has talked about the importance of democracy delivering; President Biden has talked about the importance of democracy delivering.  So we see a complementarity there.

We also see a lot of complementarities in terms of our approach to climate.  You’ll be hearing a lot more about the African Green Growth Initiative, and we see a lot of similarities there from the approach that President Biden has laid out.  So I think this – my top line from this visit is that this visit really is about the U.S.-Kenya relationship.

To your question on the rest of the continent, President Ruto has been very vocal, particularly on issues having to do with debt, and saying that Kenya is not the only country facing these challenges.  And he’s been very outspoken about the fact that the international community needs to come up with answers for countries like Kenya that are both servicing large debt and trying to look to climate transition.  So in that way, I think on the debt issue, certainly we see Kenya as part of our overall strategy vis-à-vis the region.

**QUESTION:** President Biden pledged to go to Africa within his first term, and now we’re obviously in an election year and that trip still hasn’t happened.  And it’s something that keeps getting brought up to the White House.  What do you say to those people who say that this administration has had Africa slide down its list of priorities?

**MS BROWN:**So yes, I do not have presidential travel to announce today.  And certainly, when we have presidential travel to announce at any time, we will always call in our press.  But what I will say on President Biden’s emphasis on Africa is I think the record is quite strong.  We’ve – in addition to this, the first state visit from a non-G20 country.  As you may know, have only had five other state visits, all from G20 countries.  So that in and of itself shows the primacy the President puts on that.  We’ve also had by our count 24 cabinet or senior-level officials travel to the continent since the Africa Leaders Summit in 2022, all advancing really concrete deliverables, from the Lobito Corridor to other really meaningful investments by DFC and others.

We’ve also seen President Biden really champion African interests in the multilateral arena.  As you likely know, President Biden really pushed for the AU, the African Union, to have an additional seat at the G20.  That has now happened.  President Biden’s pushed for more African representation on the multilateral development banks, and we’re seeing that in train.  So I think there’s a lot of substantive ways in which President Biden has shown his emphasis on Africa throughout this term.

Sure.

**MODERATOR:**  Please.

**QUESTION:**  Thank you very much.  I’m Beatriz Pascual with EFE, the news agency in Spain.  One of the things you mentioned at the beginning of the – of your remarks was Haiti and the importance that Haiti is going to have in the conversations between President Ruto and President Biden.  So my question is:  When do you expect the multinational security mission be deployed in Haiti?  And if those first policemen or respondents from Kenya are going to arrive in Haiti soon, do you suppose in a weeks, days?  And what this – how much this topic is going to be central in the conversation between the two leaders?

**MS BROWN:**Yeah, thanks.  So as you likely know, we in the U.S. really welcomed Kenya raising its hand to help lead the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.  We see this as a tremendously important mission here in our hemisphere.  We also see an example of Kenya raising its hand to solve issues outside of its immediate neighborhood.  So we really, really welcomed that.

As you probably know, the planning has been underway for a few months on this mission.  There’s a lot of policing efforts involve – policing experts involved in that.  And it’s also worth noting Kenya, although we are really excited about their role, they’re not going it alone.  The U.S. has provided about $300 million total in support of that.

As far as next steps, I don’t have anything to announce right now.  But I will tell you that in the broader conversations we’re having about this partnership, I do expect Haiti to come up and that partnership to come up.

**QUESTION:**  On the question of when will this force be deployed, do you think it’s a question of days, weeks?

**MS BROWN:**I don’t have anything for that specifically, but I will tell you that a huge part of this that we’re working on the Kenyans with is on establishing the necessary processes and institutions that will encourage best practice from previous peacekeeping operations to come here.  So I think that’s a lot of what the conversations are now about.

**MODERATOR:**Now we’ll go to Zoom.  Pearl Matibe, please unmute yourself and ask your question.

**QUESTION:**  Doctor Brown, thank you so much for coming to spend some time with us and for particularly taking my question.  My question is on Kenya’s security and strategic role in East Africa.  Given Kenya’s historical role in attempts to stem terrorism and security threats in resolving conflicts in East Africa, how does the U.S. plan to support and enhance Kenya’s efforts in mediation and security threats, particularly in regions where Kenya’s involvement has been both challenged or prematurely ended, such as in the DRC, the Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia and Somalia?  Thanks, Dr. Brown.

**MR BROWN:**Thanks so much, Pearl.  That’s a really important question.  So as you likely know – of course you know – the U.S. and Kenya have been longtime CT collaborators, and we really value that partnership.  As regards Somalia, as you also know, we’ve really welcomed Kenya’s role both in terms of its function in ATMIS as well as its bilateral work in Somalia.  We also think it’s important that we continue to work on issues of governance in Somalia, and Kenya has been a partner with that as well.

In terms of this visit, I think you can expect to see some important announcements and deliverables regarding CT cooperation in the region, so stay tuned for that.  I’d particularly point you to announcements near the end of the week on CT cooperation.

And then finally, we really welcome the efforts that Kenya has made to de-escalate several conflicts around the region, including, as regards Ethiopia and Somalia.  So we continue to really welcome Kenya’s role as a mediator as it can, and we continue to discuss that.  And I do think this will come up in the conversations as well between the presidents.

**MODERATOR:**We’ll take another question from Zoom.  Mouctar Balde, please unmute yourself.  We don’t hear you.  Feel free to maybe type your question in the chat if you’re having issues unmuting yourself.

Mouctar, we’ll come back to you.  I see Pearl have – has a follow-up question.  Pearl, please go ahead.

**QUESTION:**  Yes, Dr. Brown, if I may indulge with a follow-up question.  More recently there has been an impression that the U.S.’s attention has shifted to the Russian war – Russian war in Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza and is paying less attention to the civil strife in the DRC, in Sudan – Ethiopia, Sudan – the countries I mentioned a few minutes ago – leaving countries like Kenya exposed.  So what new frameworks of collaboration are in place to help resolve these conflicts?  And while this – I’m sure, obviously, this will be an agenda item, but if you could preview some of this for me.  Thanks.

**MS BROWN:**Thanks, Pearl.  Yeah, we do expect these issues to come up during both the bilateral conversation as well as some conversations with the State Department, so this is definitely front and center on our mind.  You mentioned Sudan, and you no doubt know that a couple months ago the U.S. welcomed the new special envoy for Sudan on our side, Tom Perriello.  We think that’s essential to getting to a solution in that conflict which we are very sobered by the amount of suffering that it’s caused.  So we are working closely on those issues, and we will continue to keep at it.  As you know, these are not quick-fix issues, but I think we do view them as front and center.  And I’ll say from the National Security Council Africa directorate, these are front and center for us every day, so we are seized with them.

**MODERATOR:**Before I continue with the Q&A session, I’d just kindly ask you to keep your questions related to Kenya state visit.  Please, go ahead.

**QUESTION:**  Good morning.  I’m sorry for the – for being late, because I was little bit trying to find out place to park, but I’m very sorry.

**MODERATOR:**If you could also introduce yourself, please.

**QUESTION:**  Yeah, my name is Insa Dia.  I’m the correspondent of the French – Francophone TV, 2stv, from Senegal.  And Dr. Brown, being the special assistant to the president and senior director for African affairs, I would like to know – I’m happy that you welcome Dr. Ruto has been well elected in Africa, which means that democracy is working more and more in Africa.  And if you have seen also that in the new Africa, there is a shift of model – I mean, rebuilding partnership locally, and I’m happy that also you trust – your rely on Kenya to – with this commitment, declaration of peace in South Sudan.  So I would like to – let’s say beyond Kenya, what is your position concerning this new trend of partnership sovereignty among African countries?

**MS BROWN:**  Could you just distill that a bit more?  So you’re just asking about trends in sovereignty on African countries?

**QUESTION:**  Sovereignty but also democracy, which I think is a beacon of USA–

**MS BROWN:**  Sure, yeah, okay.

**QUESTION:**  Thank you.

**MS BROWN:**And democracy.  So it is no secret that democracy globally has been undergoing a recession for almost the last 20 years.  If you talk to Freedom House, if you talk to varieties of democracy, that is – that is a fact.  And so Africa is not alone in that.  Of course, we’re attuned to the challenges in Africa.

As regards – I will say, since this is about the Kenya state visit, we are really – we’re happy to see the progress that Kenya’s democracy has made over the last 15 years, and we think it’s worth noting.  So I mentioned again varieties of democracy.  If you look at all the indications in varieties of democracy as regards Kenyan democracy, on electoral issues, on judicial independence, these have all gone steadily up over the last 15 years.  So we welcome that.  We welcome Kenya’s 2010 constitution, which decentralized power, devolved power.  We think that’s important.

And as I mentioned, we welcome the really robust showing of Kenyan democracy at the state visit.  I mentioned that there is opposition politicians, there is governors as part of the delegation.  There’s civil society.  So I think as regards Kenya, which is our topic today, we are really pleased with the progress that’s happened.

**MODERATOR:**  Mouctar, we are back to you on Zoom.  Try to unmute yourself and ask your question.

**QUESTION:**  Good morning, Dr. Brown.  I am sorry for the technical difficulties earlier.  In most recent state visit, the guest is allowed to address the chamber of representatives, the Senate and the Congress.  This past Friday, Congress has denied this – has denied President Ruto to address to the member of the chamber.  How do you interpret that at a time when Kenya is trying to play a bigger role, especially by sending troops to Haiti, a country that affected – indirectly affects U.S. foreign policy and immigration?  How do you interpret that?

**MS BROWN:**  So I’ll say I think this whole week —

**QUESTION:**  The fact that —

**MS BROWN:**  Oh, sorry.

**QUESTION:**  The fact that – yeah – that Congress has denied him to make an allocution to the chamber.

**MS BROWN:**  So I think this whole week is really testament to how important the Biden administration views Kenya, and I think all the events and deliverables we have laid out are really testament to that.  As far as congressional engagement goes, I will say there’s a very robust schedule of engagement in both chambers, on both sides of the aisle, scheduled for when the Kenyans arrive tomorrow.  So I think there will be a very positive and substantive set of exchanges there.

As regards to the floor and a joint session, you’ll have to ask the Speaker of the House those questions.  We don’t – I cannot say any more on that, but I refer you to him.

**MODERATOR:**  I see one more question via Zoom, Daniel Okay from NHK Japan.

**QUESTION:**  Hi, thank you for taking my question.  I wanted to ask if there are any deliverables being expected in terms of commercial diplomacy with Kenya, with specific focus on the mining sector.  Thank you.

**MS BROWN:**  On the mining – I don’t have anything to preview for you at this moment, but I will say the Department of Commerce has been really involved on multiple parts of this visit.  So I would stay tuned.  In particular, towards the end of the week there are going to be some significant announcements from them, but I won’t – I don’t want to get ahead of their announcements on that.

**MODERATOR:**  All right.  One more follow-up?  Okay.

**QUESTION:**  You mentioned before about the debt is going to be something that both parties are going to be talking about.  Like many of the countries on the continent, Kenya is in debt to China.  How can the U.S. tackle the grip that China has on the continent whilst also helping countries get out of debt?

**MS BROWN:**  Yeah, so we’ve been really clear on this.  We think the U.S. needs to – that the international community needs to step up so that Kenya – countries like Kenya don’t have to choose between servicing debts and making investments in their future.  We do believe that all bilateral creditors need to do their part to helping on this, including the PRC, which is Kenya’s bilateral creditor.  And we also think it’s essential that creditors provide reprieves for countries like Kenya.  Maybe it’s via debt service suspensions, maybe it’s via reprofiling, maybe it’s via new grant assistance.

So we’ve been really forward-leaning on this, and I think you can actually expect a major statement by President Ruto and President Biden sort of laying out their vision of how the international community can move forward to meet the needs of countries that are both servicing big debt and trying to meet their climate and development obligations.  So more to come on that, I would say.

**MODERATOR:**  And this ends the Q&A session for today.  Dr. Brown, do you have any closing remarks?

**MR BROWN:**  I would just say this is – for us, this is a really exciting moment, and I think that’s probably conveyed in this.  But this is the first state visit for a non-G20 country this administration – there’ve only been five other state visits – so we see this as a major symbol both of how we see the importance of the relationship historically over the last 60 years but then also a measure of the future.

For us, the sort of themes of a partnership that delivers, partnership that’s moving from regional to global, a partnership based on democracy, anchored by people, and a partnership that really brings in the private sector – to us, that’s a really important model and symbol of how – of a positive partnership.  So we do hope you’ll stay tuned throughout the week.  We expect a lot of exciting deliverables to be announced.

**MODERATOR:**  And this concludes our briefing today.  I want to give special thanks to our briefer for sharing her time with us today and to those of you who participated.

 

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