Biden praises Kenyan President Ruto for ‘his bold leadership’ as White House marks state visit

By AAMER MADHANI and SEUNG MIN KIM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has praised Kenya’s William Ruto for “his bold leadership” as the White House marks the first state visit to the United States by an African leader in more than 15 years. The visit comes as the Nairobi government is sending police to Haiti to help quell gang violence in the Caribbean nation. Meanwhile, the White House announced Biden’s intention to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally. It’s an acknowledgment of the growing security partnership between the countries. The 1,000 Kenyan officers preparing to deploy will be part of multinational force backed by $300 million in U.S. support, but not American troops. A state dinner is planned for Thursday night.