President William Ruto has spoken with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, discussing several key issues.

Top of the agenda was the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti, which Ruto has championed for months.

“I briefed President Trump on the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti and possible areas of cooperation with the US government on this important conflict-resolution initiative,” said Ruto. 

The two leaders also explored ways to strengthen Kenya-US trade, investment, security, and bilateral relations. This call came shortly after Ruto spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the Haiti mission on Thursday evening. 

 “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto on November 7 to thank him for Kenya’s continued leadership of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti as it works with Haitian counterparts to restore peace and security for the Haitian people,” read a statement from Blinken’s office.

Ruto’s outreach is part of a concerted effort to gain more support for the peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean nation.

Last month, he urged the international community to honour their commitments to support the Haiti mission, saying there is an urgent need for personnel, logistics, and financial resources to sustain and expand the security mission. 

The talks follow Trump’s election as the 47th president of the United States, raising questions about the future of Kenya-US relations.

Several trade and security agreements established under outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration now face uncertainty with Trump’s impending leadership. By Betty Njeru, The Standard