By Peter Ochieng
President William Ruto left the country on Tuesday afternoon for a visit of two West African countries.
The Head of State will be in Ghana for a State visit, followed by an official visit to Guinea-Bissauu.
Ruto is expected to hold talks with Presidents Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, with the talks centering around strengthening diplomatic relations, trade cooperation, and historical ties between Kenya and the two nations.
In Ghana, President Ruto will among other places visit the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) headquarters in Accra, with a focus on boosting Kenyan tea and leather exports to the country.
This is according to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed.
“This effort will be supported by Memorandums of Understanding between private and public sector entities, aimed at improving trade between Kenya and Ghana under the AfCFTA,” he said.
Additionally, the Head of State will address the Ghana-Kenya business forum, in a bid to explore investment and trade opportunities across various sectors.
Ruto is also expected to advocate for transforming the African Union (AU) into a leading force for continental unity and economic revitalization, engaging other regions worldwide, in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Institutional Reform and Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change.
His Guinea-Bissau visit will seek to enhance trade relations and identify new avenues for cooperation, under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
Ruto has been named among Africa’s most travelled Presidents, since assuming office in September, 2022.
He has made over 40 trips abroad since then, with US, France, Germany, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Ethiopia being among the countries he has visited more than once.