CS Kindiki, Duale receive President Ruto as he lands in Kenya after US visit
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and his defence counterpart Aden Duale received President William Ruto at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after a state visit to the United States.
Kindiki, his Principal Secretary, Raymond Omollo, and Felix Kosgei, the Head of Public Service, were among the top officials who received the Head of State as he jetted back.
Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, was not at the airport since he was engaged in an event in Uasin Gishu County.
Meanwhile, Ruto is back after his four-day visit to the US, where he also met the country's president, Joe Biden, and the 44th US president, Barack Obama.
Commitments
While on his tour, Ruto inked a number of deals with the US, including a commitment to strengthening the Open Government Partnership (OGP), which Kenya co-leads and the United States co-founded.
The United States and Kenya affirmed their commitment to upholding the human rights of all.
"Together, they (Kenya and US) stand with people around the world defending their rights against the forces of autocracy.
"Kenya and the United States commit to bilateral dialogues that reinforce commitments to human rights, as well as a series of security and human rights technical engagements with counterparts in the Kenyan military, police, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed at strengthening collaboration on security sector governance, atrocity prevention, and women, peace, and security in Kenya and regionally," the White House said.
US also pledged to help Kenya in its fight against corruption.
"The Administration intends to support the new Fiscal Integrity Program to make county budget processes more transparent and inclusive and increase citizen engagement," the statement by the American government added.
There was also a pledge by the US to strengthen Kenya’s framework for free and fair elections.
"Working with Congress, the administration intends to provide technical assistance to support Kenya’s electoral legal framework reform process aimed at strengthening the election commission, political parties, and campaign finance.
"This funding aims to improve public awareness-raising and advocacy around the reforms, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive, transparent, and peaceful 2027 election. This support complements Kenya’s amendment to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, which passed the National Assembly on May 3 and is now with the Senate," the statement by the White House added. 
The Biden administration further affirmed its commitment to help the growth of health manufacturing in the country.
"Kenya committed to working with lawmakers to advance the Kenyan Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) Act, a necessary step to boost local manufacturing of medical products and expand private American investment in the sector.
"Securing and diversifying global supply chains by promoting local and regional manufacturing of health products is a priority of the United States. The implementation of the PPB Act has the potential to increase manufacturing capacity in Kenya and Africa to ensure the availability of life-saving medicines, diagnostic tests, and devices.
"This should also mitigate the impact of global supply chain shocks, which were so evident during the COVID-19 pandemic," the statement revealed.
The US also declared Kenya a non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally, and this signals the two countries' desire to work together in matters military.
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