Mudavadi in US for bilateral talks with Rubio
Their talks will aim to strengthen partnership between Kenya and the US across various areas
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi is in Washington, United States for bilateral talks aimed at deepening the long-held close ties with the US.
Mudavadi’s trip follows an invitation from the US government and will be the first high-level engagement between Nairobi and Washington DC since President Donald Trump’s election.
During the eventful trip, Mudavadi will hold talks with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. Their talks will aim to strengthen partnership between Kenya and the US across various areas, including security, trade, and investment, a statement from his office said.
On trade and investment, Mudavadi will push for the expansion of economic ties, including the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and attracting US investments to Kenya.
He will also meet with Brian Mast, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, hold a meeting with the International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC), and a business roundtable with US investors at the US Chamber of Commerce.
Mudavadi’s US high-level meeting follows the historic State visit by President William Ruto in May 2024, the first by an African leader since 2008.
Mudavadi’s trip comes after Rubio cancelled a scheduled trip to Kenya last month, a decision believed to have been influenced by President Ruto’s trip to China with which the US is currently engaged in a trade tariffs with.
Kenya is also among countries President Donald Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on imports to the US market and was also affected by the freezing of assistance, which has heavily impacted on sectors such as health.
The focus will also be on whether Mudavadi will succeed in convincing Washington to renew AGOA, which comes to a close in September.
