The trips were largely aimed at strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations, promoting Kenya’s economic interests, attracting investment, and advancing regional and global cooperation.
Ruto began the year with a visit to Accra, Ghana, on January 7, where he attended the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama.
The visit followed an invitation extended during Mahama’s visit to Kenya in December 2024. While in Ghana, Ruto held discussions with fellow Heads of State and used the occasion to lobby for the late Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.
On January 11, the President traveled to Uganda for the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). He highlighted Kenya’s progress in food security and poverty reduction and later held bilateral talks with President Yoweri Museveni. Ruto returned to Uganda on November 23 to attend the launch of Devki Group’s $500 million steel plant in Tororo.
The President also visited the United Arab Emirates on January 14, attending the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit. During the trip, he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and sought support for extending Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to the Malaba border.
Ruto made four trips to Ethiopia in 2025, attending major continental and global forums including the African Union Assembly, the UN Food Systems Summit, and the Africa Climate Summit. He also presided over the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and concluded the year with a one-day working visit hosted by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
In April, Ruto undertook a five-day state visit to China, where he secured investment deals worth KSh107 billion across manufacturing, agriculture, education, and hospitality sectors. Shortly after, he traveled to the Vatican to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
Other key trips included visits to Spain and the United Kingdom in June, where he attended an international development conference and signed the renewed Kenya–UK Strategic Partnership (2025–2030). He later visited Japan for TICAD 9, the United States twice for UNGA and a peace agreement ceremony, Qatar for a UN summit, and Angola for the AU–EU Summit.