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

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday praised Kenya’s William Ruto for “his bold leadership” as the White House marked the first state visit to the United States by an African leader in more than 15 years. Ruto spoke of building a more promising future.

The Kenyan president and his wife, Rachel Ruto, arrived at the White House for a pomp-filled ceremony aimed at recognizing the growing importance of the U.S.-Kenya relationship. The leaders will later hold talks and a joint news conference before a formal state dinner on the White House grounds.

“Together the United States and Kenya are working together on the challenges that matter most to our peoples lives — health, security, economic security, cybersecurity and climate security,” Biden said at the arrival ceremony. “Mr. President, your bold leadership on this front has been important and significantly impactful.”

Biden and Ruto are using the three-day state visit to Washington, in part, to …