Silicon Valley to Silicon Savannah: Ruto, Biden Talk Technological Revolution

The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, on Wednesday hosted President William Samoei Ruto for a roundtable on technology at the White House in Washington, D.C.

President William Samoei Ruto arrived in Washington, D.C. in the United States of America at the start of the week, accompanied by First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto.

They were received by the First Lady of the United States of America, Dr. Jill Biden, at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

This is the second phase of the U.S. State Visit after Atlanta where the President pitched camp for two days marketing Kenya as a top investment destination in Africa.

First state visit for an African president

Ruto’s trip is the first state visit for an African president to the White House since 2008.

Ruto is the first African head of state to be honoured with an official state visit in 15 years and follows state visits from the leaders of France, South Korea, Australia, India, and Japan—all increasingly important geopolitical partners.

Successive U.S. governments have said they wanted to offer a more sustainable and democratic alternative to relations with U.S. rivals China and Russia, but have failed to establish real ties.

Africa’s political landscape has been upended in the past year by a spate of military coups, wars and shaky elections that have given China and Russia greater influence.

Biden hopes strengthening ties with Kenya, seen as a Democratic stronghold, can help stabilize the continent and advance U.S. interests.

The White House said Biden would also designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally, the first sub-Saharan African country to receive the designation. Currently, 18 countries are designated as non-NATO allies, including Qatar, Israel, Brazil and the Philippines.

President Ruto lauded the U.S. for putting more resources into the digital space.

Ruto said this will expand opportunities and transform lives not only in Kenya but also across Africa.

“No partnership is as valuable as one that is anchored on technology,” he said.

While addressing the gathering during a roundtable on technology at the White House in Washington, D.C on Wednesday, Ruto stressed the deep-rooted friendship between Kenya and the United States and the exciting opportunities it presents.

“Mr. President, under your leadership, we believe that as we celebrate these 60 years of relationship between our two countries, we also celebrate the opportunities that come with a friendship that exists between our nations,” he noted.

Ruto further emphasised the critical role of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in this evolving partnership.

President Biden, in return, praised the resilience and insight of the Kenyans.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off this visit. When I visited Nairobi as Vice President, I said that the true strength of Kenya was its people,” he said.

Biden was in Nairobi in July 2020 for a three-day official visit to Kenya.

“Nowhere is it more important than in the realm of innovation. That’s why we have so many businesses around this table, from Silicon Valley to Silicon Savannah. Our people have pioneered new technologies that are transforming millions of lives,” he added.

Both Ruto and Biden acknowledged the crucial role of public-private partnerships in driving this technological revolution.