DP Ruto meets Nebraska governor Pete Ricketts

Deputy President William Ruto, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi in his Lincoln office in the State. [Rebecca Nduku/DPPS)

Deputy President William Ruto today met Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, being the first day of his trip to the US.

The two reportedly talked about tea and coffee matters.

“The State of Nebraska is home to the USA's most innovative agricultural and livestock sec tors. This presents significant opportunities for knowledge, partnership and technology transfer for Kenya. The State is also a potential market for Kenyan tea and coffee,” Ruto posted on his social media handles.

Ruto was accompanied of his wife Rachel Ruto, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, MPs Susan Kihika, Alice Wahome and economist David Ndii.

On his social media handles, Hussein Mohamed, the communication director of Ruto’s presidential campaign, said the DP had urged Ricketts to tap into the Kenyan market to meet Nebraska’s demand for quality tea and coffee.

“The Deputy President also reiterated his commitment and guarantee, on his part, to ensuring a peaceful election in August 2022 while protecting the democratic aspirations of Kenyans,” Mohamed said.

Ruto also met agriculture and natural resources scholars at the University of Nebraska’s Innovation Campus, Lincoln.

“Innovation, the adoption of modern technology and the latest scientific research can radically improve our agricultural sector, guarantee food security and alleviate hunger. In addition, it will provide surplus produce to earn farmers income. This is what we believe in; investing in people,” Ruto said about the meeting.

“The Kenya Kwanza team later held an open discussion on innovation, sustainability and food security at the University of Nebraska. Areas of potential interests and collaboration were canvassed,” Mohamed added.

The DP is on a 10-day tour of the US and the UK. An earlier communique by Ababu Namwamba, his head of international relations, had indicated that the DP would meet security stakeholders from both countries.

Namwamba said that Ruto would meet officials from the State Department, the Pentagon and the US Government National Security Council.

“He will also speak at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Centre for Strategic International Studies and at the University of Arizona’s Washington Entrepreneurship Hub,” Namwamba had said.

The former Foreign Affairs chief administrative secretary said that Ruto would visit UK’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre “and speak at both the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Royal Institute of International Affairs.