By Sylvia Chebet
Under the stars, in a pavilion made of glass and glowing with candles, President Biden hosted a glamourous state dinner for his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto, the first in15 years since a US president held such a ceremony for an African leader.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted their Kenyan counterparts to a lavish three-course dinner that included butter-poached lobster and a white chocolate basket with banana ganache, raspberries, peaches and candied lime zest.
The star-studded event at the White House South Lawn pavilion featured performances from Grammy Winner Brad Paisely and a gospel choir. The White House chooses musical acts based on the guest's preferences.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were among the Washington bigwigs invited to the dinner attended by Hollywood stars and sports icons. Former President Obama made a brief appearance at the White House earlier.
Biden rolled out the red carpet for his Kenyan counterpart to celebrate and deepen ties between the two nations. The White House says this visit marks 60 years of official US-Kenya partnership.
In the four-day-long State Visit, Kenya has reaped not only financial and investment gains, but also a landmark achievement to be designated as a major non-NATO ally of the United States.
A $3.5 billion Nairobi-Mombasa expressway road construction deal and a $6.8 billion security deal are among the goodies in Ruto's bag.
As per tradition, President Biden held Ruto's arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.
For official working visits, a different arrival ceremony would be held at the parade ground of the Pentagon, instead of the South Lawn of the White House, presided over by the secretary of defense.
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