President William Ruto arrived in Rome on Saturday morning to attend the funeral service of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
He was received by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula aka Papa wa Roma, who had initially been designated to represent Kenya at the event due to Ruto’s state visit to China.
The funeral, which has drawn over 50 world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to honor the late pontiff, who passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88.
Pope Francis, remembered for his advocacy for the poor and migrants, has led the Catholic Church since 2013.
Ruto’s attendance comes despite earlier reports that he would miss the ceremony due to his China trip, prompting speculation among Kenyans about the last-minute change.
Wetang’ula, a devout Catholic, had departed Nairobi on Thursday evening to represent Kenya, joining global leaders and an estimated 250,000 mourners at St. Peter’s Square.
The service marks the end of a nine-day mourning period for the Pope, whose reforms included simplifying papal funeral rites.
