US First Lady Announces Trip to Kenya, Unveils Date

US First Lady Jill Biden will from Wednesday, February 22 to Sunday, February 26, visit Kenya and Namibia, marking her first trip to Africa as the First Lady. 

In a statement released by the US Embassy on Tuesday, February 21, the aim is to bolster the United States’ partnerships on the African continent and advance the shared priorities in the region.

While in Kenya, Jill Biden is slated to meet with her Kenyan counterpart Rachel Ruto among other senior government officials.

President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto meeting US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden at White House on December 15, 2022.

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Hussein Mohammed

“Dr Biden’s engagements will focus on the empowerment of women and youth, efforts to address food insecurity, and promoting our shared democratic values,” the statement read in part. 

Aside from youth empowerment, Biden will discuss drought mitigation measures to implement across the country. 

Her trip to Namibia, on the other hand, will focus on strengthening youth policies and entrepreneurial culture. 

According to a report by CNN, the First Lady’s visit comes ahead of expected visits by her husband President Joe Biden and other senior administration officials later this year.

This will mark Biden’s inaugural visit as the First Lady and subsequent third to Kenya. 

Her visit follows Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield who toured the country in January 2023, in a bid to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations. 

 During her tour, Greenfield engaged with UN officials, entrepreneurs, international relations students and alumni of US exchange programmes. 

She also met refugees pending resettlement in the United States and Kenya-based entrepreneurs. 

Jill Biden’s visit to Kenya was first announced by Foreign Affairs CS Alfred Mutua.

“The First Lady of the US will be in the country in the next month or so. She’ll be honouring an invitation from her Kenyan counterpart Rachel Ruto.

“Her visit will be centred on a number of issues, including how the US can support Kenya’s education and the monitoring of US initiatives in the country, including development programmes,” Mutua told The Standard in January 2023. 

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the new United States ambassador to the United Nations, talking to the media on March 1, 2022.

JOHN PENNEY