Ruto To Meet Microsoft, Google, Apple Bosses In US Visit

President William Ruto departed the country on Wednesday evening, September 13 for a significant visit to the United States (US).

Details of the trip were shared by State House Spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed, who underscored Kenya's commitment to tech innovation and its pivotal role as a trade partner with the US.

President Ruto will visit Silicon Valley in San Francisco, California where he will meet with tech leaders of Microsoft, Intel, Google and Apple, among others.

Aerial image of the Silicon Valley in California, USA. /TRAVEL IN USA

"The visit aims to enhance investment opportunities and trade relations with the United States, with a particular focus on nurturing Kenya's thriving start-up sector known as the "Silicon Savannah."

"The President will emphasise Kenya's young talent, green energy initiatives and its value as an alternative supply chain for American companies," stated Mohamed in part.

The meeting notably comes after President Ruto met TikTok Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shou Zi Chew, whereby TikTok committed to removing all offensive and inappropriate content on the platform on Thursday, August 24.

In a virtual meeting with the Head of State, Zi Chew committed to ensuring that content is moderated to fit community standards.

During the meeting, Chew also agreed to set up a Kenyan office to coordinate its operations in the continent and pledged to hire more Kenyans on the platform.

Meanwhile, during the trip to the US, President Ruto will attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

The global gathering will assess progress towards the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and address critical global challenges such as the climate crisis and debt concerns in the Global South.

Additionally, the Head of State will participate in the UN Secretary-General's Climate Ambition Summit, building on the successes of the recently concluded Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.

"On the sidelines of the General Assembly, President Ruto will chair a session of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change and participate in discussions on the High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy. He will also hold bilateral meetings with world leaders," added Mohamed.

President William Ruto flanked by African Heads of Government during the Africa Climate Summit Declaration at the KICC, Nairobi County on September 6, 2023. /PCS