Kenyan President William Ruto is the first African leader in over 15 years to make an official state visit to the US.
This visit presents President Joe Biden with an opportunity to demonstrate a renewed commitment to Africa at a time when Washington is perceived to be lagging in its engagement with the continent.
However, relations with other African allies are under strain as strategic rivals like Russia and China challenge traditional Western influence.
At one point, Mr. Ruto would have been an unlikely candidate for a White House state visit, marked by pomp and ceremony typically reserved for a few close allies each year.
The International Criminal Court had charged him with crimes against humanity related to the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007. However, the case collapsed, and Mr. Ruto has since reinvented himself as a crucial partner to the US.
US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, asserts that lingering doubts about his democratic credentials are not why Congress decided against inviting him to address a joint session. According to her, it’s purely a scheduling issue.
Whitman, a former CEO of eBay and Hewlett Packard Enterprises, champions Kenya and its investment potential as a tech hub, the so-called Silicon Savannah.
“If you really want to lean into Africa, then who would be the right choice to come to a state dinner?” she asks.
“Kenya has been a long-standing 60-year ally of the United States. It is certainly the most stable democracy in East Africa. President Ruto has stepped up and he’s a real leader.”
Under Mr. Ruto, Kenya has developed its role as the region’s diplomatic and business center, an “anchor state” for the US in a challenging neighborhood.
Although domestically he has faced protests over his handling of the struggling economy, globally he has become an advocate for Africa on issues such as climate change and debt relief.
Kenya is also an important security partner in East Africa and has pleased Washington by pledging to send Kenyan police to Haiti.
The only phone call President Biden made to a sub-Saharan African leader last year was to Mr. Ruto, discussing Nairobi’s promise to lead a multinational force to the troubled country.
Analysts believe the state visit is partly meant to compensate for President Biden’s unfulfilled promise to visit Africa.
He made this pledge at a grand summit of African leaders in Washington two years ago, assuring them he was “all in” for the continent. However, he has since been preoccupied with crises elsewhere, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.