Ruto heads to Beijing for China-Africa Cooperation Summit

Ruto is among other Heads of State who will attend the high-level summit that will focus on improving the China-Africa partnership. The summit will take place in Beijing from September 4 to September 6.

Speaking in Bungoma on Sunday, Ruto intimated that he would leave the country later in the day to seek development prospects.

“Because I will be travelling out of the country later today, I thought of the stadium work I left here. I thought of passing by to see if I will look for money to complete the stadium and other development projects here,” said the Head of State.

Introduced in 2000, FOCAC brings together leaders and dignitaries from the People’s Republic of China and African countries, with the exception of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

China and African countries are expected to hold discussions on partnerships in fields such as green energy, and internet connectivity, and also explore political alliances.

Other than Ruto, African leaders expected to attend the ninth FOCAC summit include President Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), President Nana Akufo-Addo (Ghana) and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ethiopia).

Ruto’s diplomatic hiatus

The FOCAC summit will mark President Ruto’s first trip outside Africa, since an unexpected hiatus occasioned by political unrest in Kenya.

The foreign trip by President Ruto follows a 2-month hiatus for the Kenyan leader, who has for a while only maintained local tours and diplomatic engagements at the comfort of his State House residence.

After attending the inaugural Korea-Africa summit on June 4, 2024, the Head of State became ‘grounded’ at home after an uprising that led to widespread protests in the country.

The youth-led protests which began on June 18, as a call to abandon the unpopular Finance Bill 2024, saw Ruto dismiss his entire Cabinet and build a new one under a broad-based government.

Ruto had only maintained local tours until August 11, 2024, when he attended the inauguration of President Paul Kagame in Kigali, Rwanda.