President William Ruto will tonight depart for Evian, France, to attend the G7 Leaders' Summit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, in a trip that will see him represent Africa's interests before some of the world's most powerful economies.
According to a statement issued by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed on Monday, Ruto will use the summit to push Africa's agenda on investment, trade, job creation, climate action, digital transformation and reforms to the global financial system.
“President William Ruto departs later tonight for Evian, France, at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron to participate in the G7 Leaders’ Summit, where he will represent Africa and advance the continent’s priorities before the world’s leading economies,” Hussein said in the statement released on Monday, June 15.
The visit places Ruto alongside a high-profile list of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
State House described the invitation as recognition of Kenya's growing influence in global affairs and Ruto's role as a leading voice for Africa and the Global South.
A major focus of the summit will be Artificial Intelligence, with Ruto expected to engage some of the biggest names in the global tech industry, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and leaders from Google, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Anthropic, Mistral AI, Cohere and other major AI firms.
The government said the President will lobby for greater investment in Africa's digital infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, data centres and skills development while seeking partnerships aimed at creating jobs for Kenyan youth.
Ruto is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit as Kenya seeks fresh investments in manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, healthcare, agribusiness, housing and digital services.
State House indicated that discussions will also explore opportunities under the National Infrastructure Fund and efforts to position Kenya as Africa's leading technology and innovation hub.
The government maintains that the engagements are designed to unlock new investment opportunities, deepen strategic partnerships and strengthen Kenya's position as a gateway to Africa.
The G7 Summit comes at a time when Kenya is aggressively pursuing foreign direct investment and technology partnerships as it seeks to accelerate economic growth, create jobs and expand its role in global decision-making forums.
The trip comes amid sustained criticism from sections of the public, the media and opposition leaders over the frequency and cost of the President's foreign travel during a period of economic hardship. His most recent international engagements included state visits to Finland and South Africa, where Kenya signed a number of bilateral agreements.
In response to the criticism, President Ruto has repeatedly defended his overseas engagements, insisting that he is not travelling as a tourist but in his capacity as Kenya's "chief diplomat" and "chief agent." He has maintained that the trips are aimed at attracting investment, securing partnerships and driving development for the country.
