The country was all hyped up that President William Ruto was on the brink of making history by addressing a joint Congress sitting during his US State Visit.
But the hype has been shortlived after Speaker Mike Johnson turned down the request.
Ruto would bethe first Kenyan leader to address a joint meeting of Congress and the first African leader to do so since Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf spoke in the House chamber in 2006.
Ruto, elected president in 2022, will be in Washington on May 23 to mark the 60th anniversary of U.S.-Kenyan diplomatic relations.
Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and ranking Democrat Gregory Meeks(N.Y.) urged Johnson on April 30 to extend an invitation for Ruto to address a joint meeting.
“Such an invitation would underscore the importance of the U.S.-Kenya relationship and send a valuable signal to the people of Africa,” McCaul and Meeks wrote.
Raj Shah, Johnson’s deputy chief of staff, said this about Johnson’s decision not to invite Ruto to address lawmakers:
