Details Of President Ruto's First Trip To UK, US

President William Ruto will fly out of the country on Sunday, September 18 for trips to the United Kingdom and the United States (US).

Viral Tea has learnt through sources privy to the matter that Ruto will first fly to the UK to attend the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral service to be held on Monday, September 19, at the Westminister Abey in London.

Ruto is expected to attend alongside US President Joe Biden, the German Chancellor, Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The late Queen Elizabeth II. /FILE

They will be among over 2,000 mourners expected to attend the funeral service of Her Majesty the Queen who died on Thursday, September 8.

Ruto will then head to New York in the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The 77th session of the UNGA commenced on September 13 and is scheduled to run until Tuesday, September 20 in New York at the UN Headquarters.

This year's theme is “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges" which is informed by the recognition that the world is in a critical state in the face of epidemics, the Ukraine war and humanitarian challenges. 

These will be President Ruto's first foreign assignments since being sworn in and come when he is expected to formally name his Cabinet.

Before the developments, he was set to travel to Angola for the inauguration of new president Joao Lourenco. He has since delegated that duty to Senate Speaker, Amason Jeffah Kingi.

On normal occasions, the President is accompanied by a delegation comprising cabinet secretaries and other state officials. 

Earlier on Friday, September 16, he called for a meeting with his Kenya Kwanza elected leaders at an undisclosed location in Naivasha.

Part of the agenda of the meeting set to take place between Friday and Saturday, September 17 will be the plan to reverse the high cost of living worsened by an increase in fuel prices.

Ruto is also expected to rally his MPs to speedily approve his Cabinet secretary nominees so that the delivery of his campaign manifesto is made easier.

Ruto is eyeing key House committees to be controlled by MPs from his camp except for the Public Accounts Committee, the Public Investments Committee and the Committee on Implementation, which are reserved for the coalition that has not formed government. 

The meeting will also see the MPs discuss the House leadership as well as the unveiling of the Cabinet members and how the MPs will be required to expedite their vetting to allow the President to roll out his bottom-up economic agenda.