At State House in Nairobi on Wednesday, President William Ruto received his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Dr. Ruto reported that they spoke about the wider Horn of Africa as well as the security situation in Kenya's eastern neighbor.
President Ruto tweeted photos from the meeting along with the statement, "Held discussions with Somalia President @HassanSMohamud that also discussed the security situation in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, State House, Nairobi."
Aden Duale, a representative for Garissa Township, was also present.
For President Ruto's swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, a number of Heads of State, including President Mohamud, flew into the country.
Mr. Mohamud underlined that Somalia and Kenya would give emphasis to their bilateral ties in all areas of cooperation.
"Yesterday's inauguration ceremony for H.E. President Ruto in Nairobi was an honor, and I was pleased to be there. Kenya and Somalia would keep working closely together on regional security, development, and other areas of shared concern "He said on Tuesday.
Over 3,500 Kenya Defense Forces soldiers were sent to Somalia to combat Al-Shabaab as part of Kenya's involvement in the country's security issues.
The insurgents with ties to Al-Qaeda have been fighting the Somalian government for 15 years and currently hold vast portions of the nation.
Mohamud and Ruto's visit comes shortly after the Kenyan president stated in an interview with CNN that he would seek to have Somalia "responsible" for its own security.
According to Ruto, "Somalia is a tough nut to crack. We look forward to working with [President Mohamud] and the international community to resolve the difficulties in Somalia and enable Somalia to take care of its own security."
While pledging to intensify the offensive against the militants, Mohamud earlier this week urged Somalians to avoid areas governed by Al-Shabaab insurgents.
Mohamud urged "the Somali people to stay away from locations where Al-Shabaab is present" after the organization staged a deadly 30-hour hotel siege in the capital Mogadishu last month. Mohamud had earlier vowed "all-out war" against the group.
AFP reported him as saying on Monday, "Al-Shabaab will be fought using every tactic that war allows — they will be bombed, raided, and subject to airborne strikes, so... stay away from them."
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