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President William Ruto yesterday called on European countries to consider reviewing their relationship with Africa to enhance a more balanced and equitable partnership that will enable the transfer of technologies and flow of capital to the global South.

Ruto told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, that Africa should be accorded a seat at the table to look for solutions for the various challenges affecting the world.

This, he said, will promote global interdependence and cooperation. He pointed to the debt crisis arising from loans from developed countries that are overburdening many African nations which are struggling to repay the high interests.

“Private investors are demanding high premiums, in great part based on perceived risks. Consequently, we are burdened with borrowing costs at least five times higher than those of advanced economies, creating a vicious cycle of debt. This disparity not only hinders our progress but also makes any meaningful development financing unattainable,” Ruto told the European Parliament.

The President said advanced technology, robust financial systems and dynamic markets, alongside pioneering advantages in various sectors, are key assets of the global North.

He said it is time for Europe to support developing countries adding that historically, the global South played a vital role in supporting the North’s industrialization by providing raw materials.

Expressing optimism that there is an opportunity for sustainable and equitable prosperity for all of humanity, Ruto told the Europeans to accelerate their race to net zero emission and to decarbonise their industries.

The Head of State cited the Nairobi Declaration which was conceived during the Africa Climate Summit saying it sets a pathway for Africa in addressing the global solution to the existential climate challenge.
He said the Declaration captures the consensus of the African government leaders for Climate Positive Growth.

Ruto said Africa has the world’s biggest untapped renewable energy potential and relevant natural resources and assets which can be used to provide some of the highest-quality carbon removal services.

Energy growth

Despite the vast riches in renewable energy, Ruto said, that Africa has not made meaningful progress in harnessing the benefits of the green economy.

“Over 600 million Africans are deprived of access to energy, a fundamental prerequisite for dignified living and the provision of basic yet vital services like health and education. Adding to this is the fact that almost a billion lack access to clean cooking. While the global narrative often emphasizes energy transition, for most of Africa, it is about energy growth and expansion,” he stated.

According to Ruto, for the continent to reap from green economy, the world must invest in education and skill development in Africa’s youthful population.

“It will matter whether Africa can transform into a green powerhouse that helps the world decarbonize. Equally important is the focus on providing education and opportunities to the youth of Africa,” he said.
Ruto added: “Africa can create a vibrant, self-sustaining economy that offers its youth compelling reasons to build their futures at home.

This approach underpinned by structured migration can alleviate the pressure on regions like Europe, which increasingly rely on economic migrants to maintain their standards of living.

The President revealed plans to grow Kenya’s renewable energy sector to the European levels.

“In Kenya, we already have a 92 per cent green grid. Our challenge is not how to get that to 100 per cent, rather our challenge is how to grow it from its current size of just 3 Giga-Watt, less than 25 per cent of the Paris Metropolitan area, for a country with five times as many people. We want to grow our grid to 100GW by 2050 so it can power green industrialisation – and create prosperity through green growth,” he said.