President William Ruto has left the country for Washington, D.C., after receiving an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to witness the signing of the landmark Democratic Republic of Congo–Rwanda Peace Agreement.
State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed confirmed Ruto’s departure on Tuesday, December 2, noting that the President will join Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and DRC’s Félix Tshisekedi – the principal parties to the deal – at the high-level ceremony.
“At the invitation of President Donald J. Trump, President William Ruto departs this afternoon for Washington, D.C., in the U.S.A. to join President Paul Kagame and President Félix Tshisekedi in witnessing the official signing of the DRC-Rwanda Peace Agreement; the most significant breakthrough in addressing decades of conflict in Eastern DRC,” State House said in a statement.
The U.S.-brokered agreement marks a major diplomatic breakthrough aimed at ending longstanding instability in Eastern DRC. It builds on previous peace efforts in Nairobi and Luanda, as well as the joint EAC–SADC initiative. Kenya, through Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’Oei, welcomed the progress and reaffirmed Nairobi’s support for a peaceful resolution.
The pact is expected to facilitate disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration of armed groups, and improved humanitarian access – crucial steps toward restoring stability across the East and Central African region.
Beyond the peace signing, President Ruto will pursue broader strategic engagements in the United States. He is scheduled to witness the signing of the Kenya–U.S. Health Cooperation Framework, which will transition a 25-year health partnership into a long-term, government-led model supporting Universal Health Coverage.
Ruto will also highlight Kenya’s economic transformation agenda — including human capital development, infrastructure expansion, agro-industrial growth, and large-scale irrigation – while seeking Public-Private Partnership investments and enhanced energy-security collaborations to support Kenya’s long-term development priorities.