President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are hosting Kenyan President President William Ruto and his wife, first lady Rachel Ruto, for an elaborate state dinner Thursday night.
It's the first state visit a U.S. president has held for a president of an African nation since 2008, even as Mr. Biden has yet to fulfill his promise to visit Africa as president. Mr. Biden told reporters Wednesday that he plans to go in February, "after I'm reelected."
The two leaders held a joint news conference Thursday, after their meetings and ahead of the state dinner.
"The world is safer when Kenya and the United States work together," Mr. Biden said as Ruto arrived.
"Today, I am as optimistic and hopeful as I was those years ago, when Kenyan patriots raised that new flag high in that midnight sky," Mr. Biden said. "Because Kenya and the United States stand together, committed to each other, committed to our people, and committed to building a better world."
The night's musical guest will be country music star Brad Paisley.
The guests
Notable guests for Thursday's state dinner include former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, actor Sean Penn, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, philanthropist Melinda French Gates, guitarist Don McLean, tech executive Sheryl Sandberg and NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Several of President Biden's family members are attending tonight's state dinner for the Kenyan president, including his son, Hunter, granddaughters Naomi Biden and Finnegan Biden, and sister-in-law Sara Biden.
The food and decor
Thursday's menu and decor are built around a seasonal theme, according to the White House executive chef.
The first course consists of chilled green tomato soup, with marinated onions and cucumber marinated in white balsamic vinegar.
"We are welcoming the beginning of summer," White House executive chef Cris Comerford told reporters Wednesday.
The entree is lobster poached in butter, along with marinated and lightly smoked short ribs.
Those dishes will be served on kale, roasted corn, a corn puree, roasted turnips, sweet potatoes and squash.
And for dessert, the White House is serving a homemade white chocolate basket, with a nectarine paste inside. It will also have a banana ganache, fresh raspberries, and peaches. Surrounding the basket is fresh strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. The U.S. and Kenyan flags are stamped on the basket's cover at the front of the dessert dish.
The scene
White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo said a cocktail reception on the terrace will come before the dinner. As the sun sets, guests will enter the transparent pavilion, where more than 1,000 candles on the walls will frame the Washington Monument. The first lady loves candlelight, and the gesture is intended to make guests from abroad feel at home.
The gifts
The Bidens are also gifting the Kenyan couple a set of North Carolina-made rocking chairs with personalized inscriptions. They're also giving the Rutos a first edition of "The Trumpet of Conscience" by Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Biden will give her Kenyan counterpart a custom pearl and peridot gemstone necklace made in Philadelphia.
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