When President William Ruto took to the podium at the
80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this year, he
did so with a message that
was both urgent and unapologetic: the multilateral order
must be reformed to serve all nations, not just the privileged few.
At this historic juncture, when the world is confronting overlapping crises of debt, climate change, conflict, and
technological disruption, Kenya stood tall, reminding the intinternational
community that global governance cannot afford to remain frozen in the geopolitics and geoeconomics of
the post-Second World War.
Founded when most African nations were still yoked by
colonialism, the UN and other post-war institutions must evolve inclusive
architectures or lose relevance and legitimacy
For Kenya, Africa, and indeed for the developing world, the
call for reform is not an academic exercise.
It is a matter of survival, dignity, and
fairness. The global financial system, for
instance, continues to punish African economies with egregious
lending conditions based on spurious risk ratings while offering concessional
credit to wealthier countries in the North.
The result is a vicious cycle of debt and austerity, locking
out millions from opportunities for growth.
At UNGA, Kenya pressed for reforms that would allow
developing nations fairer access to
development finance, debt
relief mechanisms that do
not strangle economies and global financial
institutions that recognize the promise and potential of
Africa rather than overplay its risk profile.
For Kenya, this would mean reduced cost of capital,
more predictable financing for infrastructure, and
ultimately, a stronger foundation for jobs
and livelihoods for citizens.
For Africa, it would mean
liberation from a system that too often keeps its people at the margins of global trade,
investment pathways and prosperity.
Reform of the United Nations Security Council was another
central strand of Kenya’s message.
Through the Committee of Ten (C-10),
President Ruto amplified Africa’s long-standing demand for permanent
representation at the UN Security Council.
Today, a continent of 1.4 billion people remains on the menu of Security Council
debates
but absent from the table where those
debates are decided.
Kenya argued that
this exclusion not only undermines the legitimacy of the
UN but also weakens the effectiveness of global peace
and security efforts.
From Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Somalia, Africa’s
conflicts dominate the Councils
agenda, yet Africa is denied a permanent voice in shaping solutions.
For Kenya, a country that has consistently
contributeded troops,
diplomacyacy and ideas to global peace efforts, the question is simple: how can peace be
forged without the participation
of those most affected?
For the region, meaningful reform would bring
decisions closer to
the lived realities of those affected by
conflicts and open the door to more
durable solutions.
Climate change was a matter of significant attention to
Kenya’s delegation at #UNGAAt80.
As Chair of the African Union’s
Committee of Heads of State and Government on
Climate Change (CAHOSCC), President Ruto emphasized that Africa, the least polluting continent
yet the most affected by climate shocks, cannot continue to be an afterthought
in global climate financing.
With over 90 percent of our electricity grid powered by renewables, Kenya is already showing what a green future looks like.
Yet scaling this requires financing
that is accessible, predictable, and
fair, as Kenya argued during an event on scaling up
climate adaptation financing hosted by the Global Centre on Adaptation and the
African Development Bank.
Speaking a day after President Trump’s address to the
Assembly, where he expressed skepticism on the criticality of climate action,
President Ruto’s message that carbon emissions’ impacts on atmospheric
conditions were undeniable affirms that climate change is a matter on which
Kenya agrees to disagree with her close, strategic partner.
Underlying all these calls is Kenya’s
conviction that multilateralism
itself must be reimagined.
The challenges of our age, pandemics, artificial intelligence, cross-border crime, cyber threats, cannot be
solved by unilateralism or narrow national interest.
They require inclusive, representative, and responsive
institutions. Nairobi is already positioning itself as Africa’s hub
for digital governance and AI leadership,
making the case that Africa cannot be left
behind in the fourth industrial revolution.
At the High Level Multistakeholder Launch of the Global
Dialogue 𝗈n Artificial Intelligence Governance during
UNGA, Kenya pressed for frameworks that guarantee interoperability of data,
equitable governance of didigital infrastructure, and innovative financing for AI capacity-building across the
developing world. Our position is clear: Africa’s youth cannot simply
be consumers of technology, they must also
be creators and regulators, shaping
the ethics and future of AI itself.
But reforms at the global stage must also translate into
hope at home.
That is why Kenya wove economic diplomacy tightly into its UNGA agenda.
By attracting partnerships and commendation for its affordable housing programme, Kenya demonstrated how multilateral engagement can drive real social transformation.
At the Kenya Investment Forum in New York, convened by
KenInvest, a high-level panel headlined by President Ruto discussed Investment
Opportunities in Kenya, bringing together key global players driving capital
flows and investment growth.
Discussions here centered on the investment projects
pipeline and regulatory choke points that constrain the business climate. Similarly,
through the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI), Kenya positioned Africa as the next frontier for investment, spotlighting opportunities from agriculture to
energy, technology to infrastructure.
For Kenyans, this could translate into new jobs, new industries
and an economy that speaks to
the aspirations of our youth. For Africa, it signals a continent ready to claim its rightful place as a driver of
global growth.
Kenya’s message at UNGA was therefore both a call for urgent action and a promise. The caution is that a multilateral system that excludes, ignores, or marginalizes will not survive the crises of our century.
Reformed, inclusive and equitable global governance institutions, on the other hand, promise to deliver peace, prosperity, and dignity for all.
This is why Kenya will continue to speak loudly and act
boldly, because reform is not just about the world out there, it is about
every Kenyan farmer, studentent and entrepreneur
who deserves a system
that works for them.
It is about every African who
dreams of a continent respected, represented, and resilient.
And it is about a region that knows peace is fragile but
also knows that with fairness, justice, and reform,
it can not only endure but perhaps, thrive.
Korir Sing’oei, is the Principal Secretary, State
Department for Foreign Affairs
