President William Ruto at the Africa Chief Justices’ Alternative Dispute Resolution Summit 2026 on June 19, 2026/PCS
President William Ruto has called on African countries to establish world-class arbitration and alternative dispute resolution systems, saying disputes on the continent should increasingly be handled by African institutions and legal experts.
Speaking at the Africa Chief Justices’ Alternative Dispute Resolution Summit 2026 on Friday, Ruto said Africa has the capacity to build strong dispute resolution frameworks similar to those in leading global arbitration centres.
Drawing a comparison with Singapore, which he said had deliberately positioned itself as one of the world’s leading arbitration hubs, the President argued that Africa could achieve the same.
“Singapore, a single city, made itself one of the world's foremost seats of arbitration by deliberate design. Africa, a continent of 1.5 billion people, can do the same. Let us resolve African disputes on African soil, by African jurists, under African institutions,” Ruto said.
He said such a move should be viewed as an expression of sovereignty rather than protectionism.
“And by the way, that is not protectionism, that is sovereignty,” he said.
The President used the forum to advocate for changes in how African countries engage with international partners, saying leaders had recently discussed the need for new forms of cooperation during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi.
According to Ruto, African leaders concluded that future partnerships should be based on sovereign equality and mutual benefit rather than dependency.
“We need a paradigm shift in our relationships and engagements with our partners,” he said.
“That is not protectionism. That is sovereignty.”
He added that Africa intends to pursue investments that promote value addition, create jobs and deliver benefits to both investors and host countries.
Ruto said the continent would seek relationships that support local processing of natural resources rather than the export of raw materials for value addition elsewhere.
The President also referenced discussions he recently held at the G7 forum, saying the approach reflects the direction Africa intends to take in future engagements with global partners.
“Let this summit answer them with practical commitments, lasting partnerships, and the courage to affirm alternative dispute resolution and alternative justice systems as continental priorities,” he said.
The summit brought together chief justices, judicial leaders and justice-sector stakeholders from across Africa to discuss ways of improving access to justice.
Held under the theme, “A Justice System that Serves, Listens and Resolves”,
the meeting focused on strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms, reducing
court delays and improving the efficiency of justice systems across the
continent.
