Kenya’s jet-setting President William Ruto is set to resume his globetrotting activities with a confirmed visit to Berlin, Germany, in mid-September.

After being grounded for months due to political upheavals sparked by the finance bill and peaceful youth protests, Ruto will reemerge as the first non-European international partner to feature at the Citizens Festival hosted by Germany on September 14.

The festival, hosted by the Federal President of Germany, focuses on the commitment of numerous volunteers engaged in various initiatives, and Ruto has been invited as a special guest. 

KFP has confirmed that the Kenyan mission in Berlin has been encouraging Kenyan citizens to register with the embassy to attend the event, which is free of charge.

“The Embassy of Kenya in Germany is pleased to extend a final call for registration to the Citizens’ Festival, to those who missed registration through the first link,” reads an advisory from the Kenyan embassy.

The Citizens’ Festival will take place at the park of Bellevue Palace in Berlin on September 14, 2024. 

The Federal President will be celebrating volunteer work in Germany while promoting voluntary civil society engagement. 

This year’s Citizens’ Festival places a special focus on Africa.

“For the first time, a non-European country is the festival’s international partner: the Republic of Kenya. President William Ruto will grace the event,” states the Kenyan mission. 

The motto for this year’s Citizens Festival in Swahili is “Pamoja – Stronger Together.”

Under this theme, the Kenyan embassy highlights how non-profit organizations, volunteers, and companies showcase the broad social commitment in all its facets. 

Visitors will have the opportunity to view the official residence of the Federal President, including the palace gardens and the offices and representative rooms, up close. They will also learn about the diversity of Kenya and Africa.

In addition to his visit to Berlin, Ruto is also likely to attend the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing from September 4 to 6. 

Although not yet confirmed, there are increasing signs of renewed engagement between Nairobi and Beijing, indicating that Kenya may be warming up to China again. 

This comes after Ruto made amends following his anti-China rhetoric during the Kenyan presidential campaigns.

During his time as Deputy President and a presidential candidate in July 2022, Ruto had stated that he would deport Chinese nationals from jobs that could be done by Kenyans if elected. 

“Let Chinese nationals roast maize and sell mobile phones. We will deport them all back to their countries,” William Ruto said at an economic forum. “All these activities are for Kenyans. Don’t worry about the foreigners engaged in these activities. We have enough planes to deport them,” he insisted.

Additionally, Ruto is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly scheduled for late September in New York. 

There, he will likely continue advocating for international financial architecture reforms and pushing for Africa’s representation at the UN Security Council (UNSC).