President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto were treated to a sumptuous state dinner by President Joe Biden on Thursday, May 23, at the White House in Washington, DC.
The event, which was filled with pomp and color, attracted over 500 guests, who were treated to magnificent performances by renown artists from the U.S.
Among the guests were top U.S. leaders, led by former U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Clinton was joined by his wife, Hillary Clinton.Others were U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S.
Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, Antony Blinken (Secretary of State U.S. Department of State), U.S. Senator Chris Coons, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, philanthropist Melinda French Gates, guitarist Don McLean, tech executive Sheryl Sandberg, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, was also present at the White House. “Honored to be at the @WhiteHouse during the State Visit of Kenyan President @WilliamsRuto and First Lady @MamaRachelRuto. This is a chance to celebrate the strong and continued friendship between our two countries,” she posted on X.
Notable Kenyan leaders who graced the event were Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and CSs Soipan Tuya (Environment), Njuguna Ndung’u (Treasury), Rebecca Miano (Trade), and Aden Duale (Defence). Others were Opiyo Wandayi (Senate Minority leader), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga Governr) Adan Mohamed, and Hussein Mohamed (State House Spokesperson).
Among the singers who entertained the guests was Country singer Brad Paisley who showed up in his signature cowboy hat, and was wearing dual hats.
Singer-songwriter Don McLean attended the festivities, as did Barbara Kingsolver, author of “The Poisonwood Bible,” set in Africa.
In his toast, President Ruto said, “We proudly take a firm stance, shoulder to shoulder, for democracy in a world where troubles have shaken the faith of men.”
