List of high-profile leaders to visit Kenya since Ruto became President

Jan 8, 2025 - 17:16

By Peter Ochieng

President William Ruto has often been accused of globe-trotting, with information available publicly showing that he has visited over 30 countries since he assumed office in September, 2022.

However, the President has also played host to high-profile world leaders since being sworn in as Kenya’s 5th President. Majority of foreign leaders’ visits in the country took place in 2023 and 2024.

In March, 2025, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima will pay a state visit to Kenya, after being invited by Ruto.

The visit will take place from Tuesday 18th to Thursday 20th March 2025. Ahead of that visit, we look at some of the leaders hosted by Ruto in his over 2 years’ reign.

1. King Charles III, Queen Camilla

The United Kingdom’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla landed in Nairobi on October 31, 2023, for a four-day state visit, in one of the high-profile visits witnessed in the country, in the recent past.

The King and the Queen stayed in Nairobi and Mombasa for most of their time here.

2. Sergio Mattarella

Italy President Sergio Mattarella’s State Visit to Kenya ran from 13th to 16th March, 2023.

On 14 March, the Italian President was received at State House by President Ruto, before being welcomed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Masika Wetangula, and by the Speaker of the Senate, Amason Jeffah Kingi.

He later laid a wreath at the Mausoleum of the first President of the Republic of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta. Matarella held bilateral talks with President Ruto, where several MoUs were signed.

3. Olaf Scholz

In May, 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was hosted at State House, Nairobi by President William Ruto.

The Chancellor was in Africa for a three-day visit that saw him tour Kenya and Ethiopia.

4. Joko Widodo

The Indonesia President was hosted by President Ruto at State House, Nairobi in August 2023.

5. Ebrahim Raisi

The late Iranian President visited Kenya in July 2023.

The trip that also took Raisi to Uganda and Zimbabwe aimed at bolstering Iran’s political, economic and trade ties with the African nations.

He was honored with a 21-gun salute, at State House, Nairobi.

He died in May, 2024 in a helicopter crash.

List of some of the leaders who visited Kenya in 2024

William Burns – US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director

Garry Conille – Former Prime Minister, Haiti