By Grace Gilo
President Ruto has appealed to the United States business community to invest in Kenya’s diverse investment opportunities while in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Head of State urged the private and public sectors to explore a range of mutually beneficial partnerships.
Speaking during a meeting with Fortune Company Chief Executive Officers, the president emphasized that investing in Kenya, especially in the renewable energy, housing, manufacturing, agriculture, and ICT sectors, offers promising returns.
He highlighted the longstanding Kenya-U.S. relationship, which is built on shared values of democracy, freedom, and enterprise, and encouraged international businesses to take advantage of this partnership and invest in Kenya.
“Kenya means business. We urge international businesses to capitalise on the 60-year-old Kenya-U.S. relationship that is grounded on shared values of democracy, freedom and enterprise to invest in Kenya,” said the president.
During his visit to the Coca-Cola Company Headquarters, it was announced that Coca-Cola plans to invest Sh23 billion ($175 million) over the next five years to expand its operations in Kenya.
This investment is seen as a significant milestone for the company’s presence in Kenya and Africa, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration.
“This is a milestone in the firm’s presence in Kenya and Africa, a testimony that we must sustain our strong collaboration for us to grow,” noted the Head of State.
The President also commended the New Vivo Fashion Group Retail Store in Atlanta for including Made in Kenya brands in its stores. He praised this as an example of African businesses supporting each other’s growth and success on the global stage.
At Spelman College, a partnership on education was signed, focusing on enhancing student and faculty exchange, joint research, and innovation. This partnership aims to accelerate Kenya’s Silicon Savannah ambition.
During his visit to the Centre for Disease Control Headquarters, President Ruto witnessed the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the CDC and Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Ministry of Health, and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
These MoUs aim to develop a Sustainability Roadmap for Kenya’s HIV Programme and establish the Kenya National Public Health Institute.
The President acknowledged the crucial role the U.S. has played in Kenya’s healthcare sector and expressed the intention to strengthen this partnership by expanding infrastructure, research, and local vaccine manufacturing.
Additionally, the President had the opportunity to engage with Kenyans living in the United States of America at the Cobb Galleria Centre, held talks with the Mayor of Atlanta Andre Dickens and toured the Tyler Perry Studios.
Washington, D.C. has been a beehive of activities with its streets dotted with American and Kenyan flags.
The Kenyan president will be at the White House on Thursday for the state visit.