Gov. Janet Mills will attend a state dinner at the White House on Thursday night.
The dinner, to be held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., is being held in honor of Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, according to the governor’s office.
Ruto’s visit is the first by a Kenyan president in two decades, made at President Joe Biden’s invitation. The two leaders are expected to discuss Kenya deploying security forces to Haiti as part of a broader effort to address unrest and gang violence that followed the assassination Haitian President Jovenel Moïse nearly three years ago, the United Press International reported.
“This historic State Visit is about the Kenyan and American people and their hopes for an inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous future for all. Our countries endeavor to guard against the erosion of political checks and balances, counter misinformation and disinformation, mitigate hate-fueled violence targeting members of vulnerable communities, and tackle corruption by building transparent and accountable governance systems,” the White House said in a fact sheet released ahead of the dinner.
Kenya first lady Rachel Ruto, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff also will attend the dinner.
Mills is expected to return to Maine on Friday.