Jill Biden is set to visit Kenya this week as part of US trip.
This week, Jill Biden will travel to Namibia and Kenya, her first trip to the continent since becoming the first lady, as the White House seeks to strengthen ties with the region.
The visit, the first by a White House official to sub-Saharan Africa this year, begins on Wednesday and concludes on Sunday, according to the White House.
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It precedes anticipated visits later this year by her husband, Vice President Joe Biden, and other senior administration officials.
The purpose of her trip is to reaffirm the U.S. government’s investments in Africa, not just in their governments, but also in their people, and to continue her work to empower women and young people, according to a senior administration official.
Another senior administration official described the trip as a “demonstration of President Biden’s commitment that the United States is fully invested in Africa and fully invested with Africa.”
The first lady will arrive in Namibia on Wednesday, where “her efforts are truly focused on the role of youth in continuing to shape their democracy and advancing health cooperation,” according to an official.
Biden will then travel to Kenya, where she will focus on food insecurity and the effects of drought in the Horn of Africa to “draw attention to what is a dire and immediate food crisis that cannot wait for further international intervention and mobilization,” according to an official.
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She will also meet with the first ladies of each country and engage with organizations working on youth engagement, women’s empowerment, and gender-based violence issues.
As second lady, Biden made five trips to Africa, including a 2011 visit to the largest refugee camp in Kenya as thousands fled Somalia.
This will be her third trip to Kenya and her first to Namibia, making her the highest-ranking US official to visit the region since former Vice President Al Gore in 1996.
At a time when Russia and China have made inroads in the region, which is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, the Biden administration has sought to strengthen its relationships with African nations.
A senior administration official stated, “Our policy towards Africa focuses on what we do with Africans.” This does not mean that we are unaware of the strategic moment in which we find ourselves, but the role of China in Africa does not define our policy. … Many of our officials have discussions with Africans about China, but I do not expect that to be the focus of this discussion.”
The previous year, the president hosted nearly fifty African leaders at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., where he announced billions of dollars in investments to finance and strengthen democracy.
President Biden also expressed his eagerness to travel to Africa in 2023, stating, “Some of you have invited me to your countries. I cautioned, “Be careful what you wish for, as I may grant it.”
The White House has not yet specified when Vice President Biden may travel to Africa. In the coming months, Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to visit the continent.
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