President William Ruto has issued a blunt assessment of the African Union (AU), stating that the continental body in its current form is not fit for purpose and requires urgent structural reform to lead Africa into the future.

‎Speaking at the Mashariki Cooperation Conference in Diani, Kwale County, on Friday, April 10, 2026, Ruto revealed that fellow African heads of state had tasked him with spearheading efforts to reform the AU’s institutions and organs.

Ruto said the existing framework is incapable of providing the leadership necessary to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the coming decades.

‎“My colleagues, heads of state, gave me the assignment to work on the reform of the African Union institutions and organs to make them fit for purpose for a time such as this,” Ruto said.

“I can tell you without an iota of doubt that the African Union, as it is today, is not fit to provide the leadership that this continent needs going into the future.”

Critical gap

He further highlighted a critical gap between the continent’s institutional capacity and its rising global importance.

He warned that without a more effective and responsive continental body, this demographic advantage could turn into a liability.

‎“There is a need for reform of the African Union,” Ruto, urging intelligence chiefs to play a central role in shaping a new framework.

‎“I am asking you as intelligence leaders to assist us in figuring out what kind of African Union we need, one that can unlock the potential that exists in our continent.”

He noted that as the continent prepares to become the world’s single largest market and home to one-quarter of the global population, the AU must be restructured to leverage this position.

Warning on modernisation

Ruto issued a stern warning that failing to modernise the union would turn these opportunities into significant vulnerabilities.

“Africa 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.

The call for reform comes amid growing debate among African leaders on the effectiveness of the AU in addressing pressing issues such as security, economic integration, and global competitiveness.