President William Ruto and the United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, held a fourth phone conversation since President Donald Trump was sworn into office and just weeks before the Kenyan Head of State visits the U.S.
Ruto in a statement on Tuesday said that the two leaders had a telephone conversation on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues including the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti and the security situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“We concurred on the imperative and support for a resolution at the UN Security Council that establishes a UN support office for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, to aid efforts to stabilize and secure Haiti,” said Ruto.
“We also discussed the EAC–SADC intervention in Eastern DRC, reaffirming our shared commitment to regional peace and sustainable security. At the bilateral level, we underscored the importance of strengthening Kenya–U.S. relations and agreed to deepen cooperation for the long-term benefit of our people and nations.”
Ruto and Rubio speak on phone
Back in February, Ruto and Rubio also had a telephone conversation to discuss the ongoing conflict in Eastern DRC.
Spokesperson for the State Department Tammy Bruce in a press release said that the two emphasized that there is no military solution to the conflict and called for an immediate ceasefire. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to push for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto to discuss the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including the unacceptable capture of Goma and Bukavu by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group,” read part of the press release.
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Thursday’s call comes days after President Ruto announced plans to visit the United States next month. Speaking at the 97th Kenya Music Festival State Concert in Sagana, Nyeri, on August 16, 2025, the Head of State revealed details of his upcoming visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
He revealed that during the visit, he will meet with officials representing the Recording Academy, organizers of the Grammy Awards, in an aim to establish world-class music studios in Kenya.
Ruto to meet organizers of the Grammy Awards
The President added that Kenya is steadily positioning itself as a premier hub for the creative and entertainment industries in Africa, noting that the Grammy organizers have already expressed interest in the Talanta Hela Stadium.
“Next month in the United States, I will meet with the Recording Academy, organizers of the Grammy Awards, to fast-track plans for establishing world-class studios here in Kenya and to set in motion the journey towards eventually hosting an African edition of the Grammy Awards in Nairobi.”
“The Grammy team has already expressed interest in anchoring their presence within our new Talanta Hela Stadium in Nairobi. To this end, I am directing the Ministry of Youth and Creative Economy to expedite all outstanding steps to deliver a truly State-of-the-art creative experience for our artists, producers and innovators right here at home.”
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In addition, Ruto said that he will meet with leaders of major global technology companies including Meta to expand collaboration for the benefit of Kenyan creators.
“I will meet leaders of major global technology companies to expand collaboration for the benefit of our creators. This includes integrating M-PESA into Facebook’s payment system to make out payouts faster, easier and more accessible,” he said.
This will be Ruto’s first visit to the United States since President Trump was sworn into office for his second term in January.
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