President Ruto Calls for Reform of the African Union

Esther Oluku

The President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, has called for a reform of the African Union to meet emerging global realities as it affects the continent.

He made the call in his address at the third edition of the Mashariki Cooperation Conference (MCC) which held in Diani, Kwale County, Kenya, recently.

Hosted by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service, NIS, under Director General Noordin Haji, the gathering brought together intelligence and security chiefs from across Africa, along with high-level delegates from over 80 countries of the world to assess emerging technologies for regional stability and security.

Ruto, who made this charge as his first in a three point closing task to Intelligence chiefs, stated that with Africa forecasted to hold a quarter of the world’s youth population, a single continental market and a significant proportion of the world’s arable land by 2050, there exists an urgent need for reform of the African Union to take advantage of these opportunities for the continent’s prosperity.

“We will have the largest single market in the world in this continent and we have resources and assets. We have two-thirds of the world’s remaining arable land. Aside from that, we have huge mineral and natural resources in our continent. It is both an opportunity and a risk.

“I can tell you without an iota of doubt that the African Union as it is today is not fit for purpose. It is not fit to provide the leadership that this continent needs going into the future and therefore, there is need for the reform of the African Union.

“I am asking of you, as Intelligence leaders, to assist us to figure out the kind of African Union that we need to be able to unlock the potential that exists in our continent and the opportunities that we have so that as we march into the future, as we become the single largest market, as a quarter of the world’s population live in our continent, we take advantage of that position, because otherwise, it can pose a major risk for us,” Ruto said.

Ruto equally called for African nations to believe in themselves and invest in local solutions while urging African nations to invest in building Africa’s financial institutions for the continent’s prosperity.