What Ruto Plans To Do During 5-Day State Visit To China
This will be Ruto's second visit to the Asian superpower country in six months
Marvin Chege 
President William Ruto is set to embark on a state visit to the People's Republic of China from April 22-26, 2025.
The Chinese Embassy in Kenya confirmed this in a statement on Thursday, April 17, explaining that "At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto will pay a state visit to China from April 22 to 26."
This will be Ruto's second visit to the Asian superpower country in six months, the last visit coming in September 2024 while in the company of former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga.
President William Ruto jets into Beijing, China on September 2, 2024. /PCS
Reports say a major focus of President Ruto’s China trip is locking down new funding, especially to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which Beijing has already backed, all the way to Uganda’s border.
Beyond infrastructure, Ruto’s visit is also about deepening diplomatic ties with China, the world’s second-largest economy, even as it continues its heated trade war with the U.S., a top Kenyan ally.
That tension has since put countries like Kenya in a tough spot, trying to balance relationships between two rival global powers.
This trip comes just months after Ruto’s last one to Beijing for the 9th FOCAC Summit, where he walked away with billions for infrastructure, new export deals for Kenyan produce, and tighter strategic partnerships.
One major win from that summit was securing Ksh 40 billion in concessional funding to revive 15 stalled projects across 10 counties, ranging from roads and power to ICT and water systems.
High on the list is pushing the SGR from Naivasha to Malaba, aiming to boost regional trade with Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan.
Also during that visit, Kenya joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), opening new doors for funding. Part of Ruto’s broader goal is renegotiating Kenya’s debt terms with China, especially with the Treasury now focused on making debt more transparent and tying loans to real development impact.
On top of that, Kenya is leaning more into using the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) for its loans as a way to diversify and dodge USD volatility. RMB-based loans, especially from lenders like China Eximbank, come with better terms and longer repayment windows.
Treasury CS John Mbadi has been front and centre in this push, recently leading a team to Beijing to negotiate more funding. Right now, China is one of Kenya’s biggest external lenders, with the debt clocking in at just over a trillion shillings.
