Ruto praises Dangote Lamu refinery project at UN General Assembly

Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ruto said Kenya will on Wednesday, September 30, host the groundbreaking ceremony for the refinery, which is being developed in partnership with Dangote Industries and the Africa Finance Corporation.

Ruto made the remarks during a meeting with Dangote Industries President and CEO Aliko Dangote and Africa Finance Corporation CEO Samaila Zubairu.

The President said the refinery would play a key role in meeting the region’s energy needs while supporting industrial development.

Ruto also used his engagements at the UN General Assembly to call for fundamental changes to global finance and international governance.

Speaking during the Kenya-European Union Partnership for Multilateralism Summit, Ruto said Africa has sufficient domestic savings but that the continent's capital reserves were not being effectively utilised to finance development.

He called on African financial institutions to move beyond traditional lending and instead play a greater role in making African assets more attractive to investors.

The Head of State said African institutions should help unlock the continent's capital and direct it towards productive investments that can accelerate development.

The President also called for greater global cooperation, rejecting questions over whether African countries are aligning themselves with either the East or the West.

"We are not facing east, nor are we facing west. We are facing forward," Ruto said.

He further criticised what he described as the selective application of international law, arguing that global rules should apply consistently to all countries.

Ruto said a sustainable future could not be written by a few countries and imposed on others, calling for a more inclusive international system.

The President's engagements in New York come as world leaders gather for the ongoing United Nations General Assembly, where issues of global governance, development financing and international cooperation remain key areas of discussion.