President John Mahama and Kenyan President William Ruto shared a light-hearted moment when they met for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York.
As the two leaders exchanged pleasantries, President Ruto addressed President Mahama as “John the Baptist”.
The Kenyan president then warmly welcomed his Ghanaian counterpart, with the two chatting briefly before turning their attention to their bilateral engagement.
The Kenyan president also congratulated President Mahama on what he described as an achievement from the previous day.
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"Congratulations for yesterday," he stated.
The meeting forms part of President Mahama’s engagements at UNGA81, where he is participating in high-level discussions and holding bilateral meetings with world leaders.
Ghana and Kenya have maintained diplomatic relations and continue to engage on areas of mutual interest, including trade, development and cooperation.
The meeting also comes shortly after the Accra Reset event held in Accra on September 21, 2026, under the theme, “Full Circle: Making Global Development Work Again.”
The high-level event focused on global development and health sovereignty and brought together leaders and stakeholders to discuss ways to make international development cooperation more effective.
President Mahama is currently in New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
See the video below
‘John the Baptist’; Kenyan President, William Samoei Ruto nicknames President Mahama as they help bilateral talks at the UNGA81.#UNGA81 pic.twitter.com/eC8gNdY3cp
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