President William Ruto left the country for a two-day state visit to Egypt, on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025.
Ruto is expected to engage in high-level discussions on regional development and cooperation.
The highlight of his visit is a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, during which, according to communication from the North African State, they will focus on “ways to enhance bilateral relations and to hold consultations on regional developments.”
“President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is to receive today (January 29) the President of Kenya, William Ruto, at Ittihadya Palace to discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations and to hold consultations on regional developments,” the official Egyptian presidency website posted on Wednesday at 8:14am.
Videos shared on President Ruto’s social media platforms showed him receiving a warm welcome, with the national anthems of both countries being played at the headquarters of the Presidency of Egypt in Heliopolis.
Besides bilateral engagements, President Ruto, who currently chairs the East African Community (EAC), is also expected to preside over an extraordinary summit on Wednesday, July 29 to address the escalating crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The meeting is expected to be held virtually.
However, it remains unclear whether other East African leaders will attend the summit in person or join virtually.
The situation in DRC remains tense, with Rwanda facing allegations of supporting the Congolese-Rwandese fighters, particularly the M23 rebels. Kinshasa authorities have pointed fingers at Kigali, accusations that Rwanda has consistently denied.
On Monday, Dr Ruto confirmed reaching out to Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC’s PresidentFélix Tshisekediregarding the emergency meeting.
“I have discussed the summit meeting for Wednesday with President Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi, and both of them have confirmed their participation,” President Ruto said at State House, Nairobi, where he hosted African Union leaders.
The M23 rebels entered Goma on Sunday, drawing mixed reactions from residents. While some civilians sheltered indoors out of fear, others emerged to greet the fighters following a night of intense gunfire and bombardment.
President Ruto’s diplomatic engagements this week have been busy. On Tuesday, he was in Tanzania for the African Heads of State Energy Summit. Just a day earlier, he hosted at least five African Heads of State and senior officials of the African Union Commission (AUC) in Nairobi to discuss and fast-track priority reforms within the continental body.
