Ruto bids farewell to US envoy Marc Dillard, reaffirms strong Kenya-US ties

President William Ruto has officially bid farewell to the United States Chargé d’Affaires to Kenya, Marc Dillard, who has concluded his diplomatic tour of duty in Nairobi.

During a meeting at State House on Wednesday, President Ruto commended Dillard for strengthening relations between Kenya and the US, and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to deeper cooperation in areas of trade and investment.

“We value our strong and mutually beneficial diplomatic ties with the United States. We are committed to deepening our collaboration in trade and investment, and to expand opportunities and prosperity for our people,” said Ruto.

The two also discussed ongoing collaboration under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, particularly in boosting the creative economy, and Kenya’s role in the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti.

President Ruto praised Dillard’s tenure, noting that his efforts had enhanced strategic partnerships between the two countries.

Earlier in the day, ODM leader Raila Odinga also met with Ambassador Dillard.

Raila said they held productive discussions on recent developments in Kenya, the United States, and globally.

“We both acknowledge and celebrate the strong ties that already exist between our two nations. Ambassador Dillard assured me that these ties will not only continue but will also expand in the future, which is very welcome news,” Raila stated.

He, however, raised concerns over the abrupt implementation of certain US policy decisions that may negatively impact developing nations, urging that such measures take into account the unique circumstances of countries in the Global South.

“I wished Ambassador Dillard all the very best in his new assignments,” he added.