Why has the US invited Kenya’s President Ruto on a state visit?

Kenyan President William Ruto is on a state visit to the US, the first by an African leader since Ghana’s John Kufour in 2008 and only the 6th state visit Biden has hosted since taking office in 2020

A state visit is the highest level of international visit, and its purpose is to confirm the good relationship between the countries concerned.

For President Ruto it's a significant display of his emergence as leading voice for Africa - particularly in the eyes of the West.

But some observers say that Washington is now playing catch up to Russia and China - which have both grown in influence on the continent in recent years - as well as newer entrants like Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia.

In this episode of Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja talks to Ambassador Martin Kimani, an international affairs expert and former Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations.