The meeting took place on Monday, September 21, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly as Ruto undertakes a series of diplomatic and economic engagements in the United States.
In a statement after the meeting, Ruto said Kenya and the United States were seeking to broaden their longstanding partnership beyond traditional areas of cooperation.
“Kenya and the United States share a strong and enduring partnership anchored in trade, security, technology and development,” Ruto said.
The President said the two sides welcomed the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides preferential access to the US market for eligible African countries.
According to Ruto, the extension is expected to strengthen trade between Africa and the United States and create additional economic opportunities.
The trade discussion comes as Kenya continues to pursue deeper economic ties with Washington. Trade and investment have remained important elements of Ruto's wider US engagement during the UNGA week.
AI emerges as new area of Kenya-US cooperation
Artificial intelligence was another major issue discussed by Ruto and Rubio.
The President said Kenya and the US were exploring cooperation in AI and its application in sectors including healthcare, education and financial services.
“We are also broadening our cooperation in emerging areas, particularly Artificial Intelligence and its application in health, education and financial services,” Ruto said.
The discussions also touched on how governments should respond to rapidly advancing AI technologies.
Ruto said the two sides exchanged views on the “responsible governance” of AI, signalling that Kenya's technology diplomacy is increasingly extending beyond digital infrastructure to questions surrounding regulation and governance.
The issue has featured prominently in Ruto's UNGA engagements.
On Monday, the President called for African countries to have a greater role in shaping global AI rules, arguing that the continent should move from merely consuming AI technologies to developing and owning them.
Critical minerals and nuclear energy
Ruto and Rubio also discussed opportunities for cooperation in critical minerals and nuclear energy.
The inclusion of critical minerals adds another strategic dimension to the Kenya-US relationship as countries increasingly seek secure supplies of minerals needed for modern technologies and energy systems.
Nuclear energy, meanwhile, could become part of Kenya's longer-term strategy for expanding electricity generation as the country seeks to support industrialisation and emerging technologies.
Ruto has used his UNGA visit to promote Kenya as an investment, technology and energy hub, with the government also pushing major projects and partnerships in these sectors.
Somalia, Haiti and Sudan on the security agenda
The meeting was not limited to economic issues.
Ruto said he and Rubio discussed regional peace and security, including the continuation of the security mission in Somalia.
Kenya has been deeply involved in international efforts aimed at supporting security and stability in Somalia, making the issue a significant part of Nairobi's discussions with Washington.
The two leaders also discussed Haiti, where Kenya has played a prominent role in an international security mission.
The worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan was another issue raised during the meeting.
According to Ruto, Kenya and the US discussed efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire, pursuing a political settlement and maintaining regional engagement over the conflict.
The issues place Kenya's diplomatic role in East Africa and beyond at the centre of its engagement with Washington.
A wider Kenya-US relationship
The Ruto-Rubio meeting comes as Kenya seeks to expand its relationship with the United States across several sectors rather than focusing solely on traditional diplomatic and security cooperation.
Ruto's wider UNGA agenda has included investment, energy, artificial intelligence, development financing and Africa's role in the global digital economy.
The President's meeting with Rubio therefore brought together several of the priorities Kenya is promoting in New York: access to international markets, technology partnerships, investment, energy and regional security.
For Nairobi, the discussions also provide another platform to position Kenya as a strategic partner for Washington in East Africa while seeking greater economic and technological cooperation.
The meeting took place as Ruto continued his engagements with global leaders, investors and international institutions during the UN General Assembly week.
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