President Ruto Departs to the US [Details]

President William Ruto jetted out of the country on Saturday, September 20 night, for New York, United States of America (USA).

In a statement, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said President Ruto will attend the High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Mohamed stated that the Head of State will use the UN assembly to reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to multilateralism, push for reforms in the global financial system, and champion fair access to development financing for developing nations.

President Ruto will also champion reforms to address security challenges in Haiti, Sudan, DRC, Somalia, and South Sudan.

“He will also push for reforms of the United Nations to make it more inclusive and to address global peace and security challenges, including enhancing peace efforts in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Haiti,” said Mohamed.

Ruto will then participate in the Committee of Ten (C-10) Summit, where he will champion Africa’s position on UN Security Council reform and emphasize the importance of cooperation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Kenya will also host a high-level side event on Haiti to share lessons learned since the deployment of troops under the Multinational Security Support Mission.

Further, President Ruto, in his capacity as the Chair of the African Union’s Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), will convene deliberations to consolidate Africa’s position and rally leaders ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

“The President will also host a High-Level Breakfast on Affordable Housing, with more than 30 Heads of State and Government expected to attend, positioning housing as a pillar of social transformation,” Mohamed added.

Additionally, Ruto is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with global leaders, development partners, and industry executives to advance Kenya’s interests, attract investment, and secure partnerships in key sectors.

The UN assembly high-level week will begin on Monday, September 22, and end on September 30, 2025.

On August 16, during the 97th Kenya Music Festival State Concert at Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri, President Ruto vowed to leverage the sidelines of the general assembly to meet with the big tech companies to negotiate viable deals for the Kenyan content creators.

Ruto said he will meet with the representatives of the Meta-owned Facebook to discuss with the company to integrate M-Pesa into the platform's money trail to make it easy for Kenyans monetizing their content to process their payouts.

"Next month, during my visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, I will meet leaders of major global technology companies to expand collaboration for the benefit of our creators.

“This includes integrating M-PESA into Facebook’s payment system to make payouts faster, easier, and more accessible," he said.

The President also said he would work with the organizers of the Grammy Awards to push for the setting of a recording studio in Nairobi and prepare Kenya for one of the label's high-level events.

"I will meet with the Recording Academy, organizers of the Grammy Awards, to fast-track plans for establishing world-class studios here in Kenya and to set in motion the journey towards eventually hosting an African edition of the Grammys in Nairobi," he added.

This is President Ruto's first visit to the United States since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

President Ruto last visited the US in September 2024 when he attended the 79th United Nations General Assembly.