DP Ruto arrives in Washington for 10-day tour of US, UK

The DP announced his arrival on Monday morning through a tweet, sharing pictures of him being received by Kenya’s Ambassador to the United States Lazarus Amayo alongside other Kenyan dignitaries.

DP Ruto’s visit, according to a statement to newsrooms by DP Ruto's presidential campaign secretariat last week, was occasioned by invites from senior government officials and top policy institutes of the two nations.

He is scheduled to take part in a conversation on foreign policy, the future of governance and economic development in Kenya, East Africa, and the African continent.

In the U.S, Ruto will speak at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and at the University of Arizona's Washington Entrepreneurship Hub.

He is also set to meet officials of the State Department and the Pentagon as well as the US Government National Security Council (NSC) Advisor.

“In London, Dr. Ruto will meet senior UK Government officials, visit the National Counter-Terrorism Center and speak at both the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House),” read the statement by Ababu Namwamba, Head of International Relations, DP Ruto presidential campaign secretariat.

“He will also engage the Kenyan Diaspora in the UK, and pay a courtesy call on the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby.”

Namwamba added: “Kenya remains a stable regional anchor state and a valued member of the global community, and the Deputy President's trip seeks to further strengthen ties with the country's traditional friends and partners.”

The DP has further lined up a series of meetings where he will engage with Kenyans in both the US and the UK as he woos support for his presidential bid.

He is flanked by the Second Lady Rachel Ruto, ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi as well as Narok Governor Josphat Nanok, his Kwale counterpart Governor Salim Mvuryan and Kirinyaya’s Anne Waigiru, among others.