By Ebi Kesiena
Kenya’s President William Ruto delivered a fiery and uncompromising address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Wednesday, declaring that Africa is no longer willing to remain on the margins of global decision-making or to survive on borrowed resources.
In a speech that challenged the structure and priorities of the international order, Ruto warned that the UN risks “drifting into irrelevance” unless it reforms to reflect today’s realities.
He demanded two permanent seats for Africa on the Security Council, complete with veto rights, arguing that the continent of 54 nations can no longer be excluded from the world’s most powerful decision-making body.
“You cannot claim to be the United Nations while disregarding the voice of Africa,” he said, stressing that reform is not charity but a necessity for global legitimacy.
Ruto placed climate change at the heart of his message, calling it “the single greatest threat of our age” but also a historic opportunity.
He showcased Kenya’s transition to clean energy, with 93% of its electricity already generated from renewables, and pointed to Africa’s collective commitments under the Nairobi Declaration and the recent Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa. He insisted that Africa is not a victim but a leader in climate solutions, driving investments in e-mobility, climate-smart agriculture and green manufacturing.
Yet he warned that ambition cannot succeed without money. Ruto demanded urgent reform of global finance, condemning a system that “punishes the poor while rewarding the rich.”
He pointed to the unfair allocation of IMF Special Drawing Rights, which left Africa with crumbs while wealthy countries took the lion’s share.
The result, he argued, is a cycle of debt and high borrowing costs that stifle both development and climate action. “Fix the money to fix the planet,” he declared.
Calling Africa a “world power in its own right,” Ruto said the continent is building its own financial architecture, from Afreximbank to the planned African Central Bank and Monetary Fund. He called on the international community to treat Africa as a partner in shaping the future, not a debtor to be pitied.
“The 80th anniversary of the UN must be more than a commemoration,” Ruto concluded. “It must be the moment when Africa’s voice is finally heard, and when we rebuild the UN to deliver justice for all”.
