Acting US Ambassador assures Ruto America will prioritise Kenya over any African country
By Cy Muganda, August 11, 2025Acting United States Ambassador to Kenya, Carla Benini, has reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to placing Kenya at the centre of its Africa policy, saying the East African nation will continue to be the first choice for US engagements on the continent.
Speaking during a meeting with President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, on Monday, August 11, 2025, Benini emphasised the strategic importance of Kenya in US-Africa relations, highlighting shared values and mutual interests between the two nations.
“Kenya, as you know, sir, remains central to our U.S.-Africa policy. When we do something in Africa, we do it in Kenya first. And there’s a reason for that,” she told Ruto.
Benini assured Ruto of continued US embassy support for state and local government partnerships, emphasising the mutual benefits of such collaborations.
“So the embassy will always stand ready to support states and cities, et cetera, who come to visit us because our interest is really shared prosperity for Kenyans and Americans alike,” she stated.
The Acting Ambassador further attributed this preferential treatment to the alignment of fundamental principles between the two countries and a long-standing history of cooperation.
“It’s because of our shared interests and alignment on governance, on rule of law, and democracy,” she added.
Mutual cooperation
Benini also noted that the ties between the two nations go beyond national governments to include direct people-to-people and subnational partnerships.
The Ambassador cited her recent visit to Ruto’s hometown of Eldoret as an example of the growing subnational ties between the two countries.
“I was actually just in your hometown in Eldoret on Friday and had a fantastic conversation with His Excellency the Governor about his recent trip to Minneapolis-St. Paul and what they see going forward, exciting opportunities with their sister city partnership.”
Ruto’s response
Speaking during the session, Ruto welcomed the assurance, saying the engagement at both national and county levels strengthens bilateral relations.
“The fact that we are engaging both at the national level and at the state and county level brings into the equation a greater appreciation of what needs to be done jointly,” Ruto responded.
He pledged Kenya’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the US, emphasising mutual benefit.
“I promise you on behalf of these good people here, colleagues from Kenya, that we are ready, we are willing, we are available to partner and to see what we can do together in a mutually beneficial engagement between our two countries,” he stated.