President William Ruto and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks in New York on Monday, September 21, focusing on Kenya-US trade relations, emerging technologies, critical minerals and regional security. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with Rubio’s official schedule confirming the engagement with the Kenyan President in New York. Ruto said Kenya and the United States continued to share a longstanding partnership centred on trade, security, technology and development.

“Kenya and the United States share a strong and enduring partnership anchored in trade, security, technology and development,” Ruto said in a statement after the meeting.

The two leaders discussed the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US trade programme that provides eligible African countries with preferential access to the American market. Ruto welcomed the extension, saying it would help strengthen trade between Africa and the United States and create additional economic opportunities.

“We welcome the extension of AGOA, which will strengthen trade between Africa and the United States and expand economic opportunities,” he said.

The United States has extended AGOA through December 31, 2028, according to the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Ruto also said Kenya and the US were broadening cooperation in artificial intelligence, including potential applications in health, education and financial services. The discussions included the responsible governance of rapidly developing AI technologies, alongside opportunities for cooperation in critical minerals and nuclear energy.

“We exchanged views on the responsible governance of rapidly advancing AI technologies and explored opportunities for cooperation in critical minerals and nuclear energy,” Ruto said.

The US State Department separately said Rubio and Ruto discussed opportunities in Kenya’s critical minerals sector, including the potential for US companies to participate in value addition. The department said the discussions were aimed at positioning Kenya as a key player in the critical minerals sector while creating opportunities for American firms. Regional security was also part of the talks, with the two sides discussing Somalia, Haiti and Sudan. Ruto said they discussed sustaining the security mission in Somalia, supporting stability efforts in Haiti and responding to the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

“On regional peace and security, we discussed sustaining the security mission in Somalia, supporting stability in Haiti, and addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan through efforts towards a ceasefire, political settlement and continued regional engagement,” he said.

The meeting forms part of Ruto’s engagements in New York during the UN General Assembly, where Kenya is pursuing discussions on trade, investment, technology and regional security.