Biden pulls out all stops for Kenya’s leader with largest state dinner of presidency

It has been nearly two decades since an African leader was feted with an official state visit to Washington but the White House rolled out the red carpet for Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday with the largest state dinner of the Biden presidency.

Around 500 guests have been invited to the state dinner, the sixth hosted by President Joe Biden, with President Ruto and his wife, Rachel Ruto, as guests of honor.It is the first state visit by a leader from the African continent since president of Ghana, John Kufour, was hosted by former president George W Bush in 2008.

According to White House officials, Mr Biden’s aim for hosting Mr Ruto is to shore up bilateral ties with Nairobi, as Kenya increasingly becomes a major player both in Africa and globally.

The evening will begin with a cocktail reception for guests on the White House terrace before the diners will be invited into a transparent pavilion that has been erected on the White House lawn, according to White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo.

He said the pavilion walls will feature more than 1,000 candles, a suspended centerpiece with 15,000 layered reflective metallic strips meant to amplify the candlelight, and views of the Washington Monument.

President Joe Biden first lady Jill Biden, Kenyan President William Ruto and his wife Rachel Ruto wave together during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on May 23, 2024 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

There, they will feast on a seasonal menu by White House Executive Chef Cris Comerfield. “We are welcoming the beginning of summer,” she said on Wednesday.

The first course will consist of chilled green tomato soup, with marinated onions and cucumber marinated in white balsamic vinegar, while lobster poached in butter, along with marinated and lightly smoked short ribs will be served as an entree.

For dessert, the White House executive pastry chef will provide each diner with a homemade white chocolate basket filled with a nectarine paste, a banana ganache, fresh raspberries, and peaches. The basket will be surrounded by fresh strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries.

The first course, a chilled heirloom tomato soup with sourdough crisps and arbequina olive oil is shown by White House Executive ChefCris Comerford on Wednesday (AP)

The after-dinner program will include live entertainment by country music star Brad Paisley as well as the Howard University gospel choir.

First Lady Jill Biden told reporters the musical performers were selected to honour Mr and Ms Rufo’s “love of gospel and country music”. Both genres can trace their roots to African musical traditions brought to the US by enslaved people.

Thursday’s dinner will be the climax of a two-day visit which involved business leaders from the US and Kenya.

On Thursday morning, an arrival ceremony featuring the US Marine Band and a review of military personnel.

Mr Biden greeted Mr Ruto on the White House’s South Lawn, telling the Kenyan leader: “The world is safer when Kenya and the United States work together”.

White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison holds a dessert of a white chocolate basket with banana ganache, raspberries, peaches, and candied lime zest (AP)

“Today, I am as optimistic and hopeful as I was those years ago, when Kenyan patriots raised that new flag high in that midnight sky,” Mr Biden said.

“Because Kenya and the United States stand together, committed to each other, committed to our people, and committed to building a better world”.

Mr Biden praised Mr Ruto for what he described as “bold leadership,” and acknowledged the 60-year history of relations between the US and Kenya, dating back to the African republic’s independence from the former British Empire.

In the Oval Office, he said the US-Kenya partnership was not only “delivering for our nations” but “delivering for the world.”

“It’s remarkable. This visit is not just about our histories. It’s about the future,” Mr Biden continued, adding later that there was “virtually no challenge that Kenya and the United States can’t meet together”.

The president also notified Congress on Thursday that he is designating Kenya as a major non-Nato US ally, making it the first sub-Saharan nation to receive that designation. Kenya joins a list of non-Nato US allys which includes Israel, Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, Colombia and Pakistan.

President Joe Biden and Kenya's President William Ruto walk along the Colonnade around the Rose Garden on their way to the Oval Office for a meeting after a State Arrival Ceremony at the White House on Thursday — President Joe Biden and Kenya’s President William Ruto walk along the Colonnade around the Rose Garden on their way to the Oval Office for a meeting after a State Arrival Ceremony at the White House on Thursday (AP)

Mr Biden and Mr Ruto also announced the “Nairobi-Washington Vision”, a call for creditor nations to make it easier for developing nations with high debt burdens to receive assistance.

The pact will also push international financial institutions to coordinate debt relief and support through multilateral banks and institutions providing better financing terms.

Additionally, the White House rolled out $250m in grants for the World Bank’s International Development Association to use for crisis assistance to poor countries.

“Together the United States and Kenya are working together on the challenges that matter most to our peoples lives — health, security, economic security, cybersecurity and climate security,” Mr Biden said.

Source link