President William Ruto in Kajiado

‎President William Ruto has said Kenya and other African countries must abandon what he described as a “business as usual” approach to development and instead pursue partnerships that promote investment, local value addition and economic independence.

‎Ruto said Africa's engagement with global partners should no longer be centred on borrowing, but on mobilising the continent's own resources while working with international partners as equals.

‎He said he made the position clear during his participation at the G7, where he spoke on behalf of Africa.

‎“I said, as a continent, we are no longer going to continue with business as usual mentality. We are going to change our engagement with our partners,” Ruto said during a development tour of Kajiado.

‎“Our engagement is no longer going to be about us borrowing money from them. No, we are going to raise our own resources and we are going to work with them as partners, so that they can guarantee what we are doing, so that we can raise our own resources and eliminate the issues of debt in our continent.”

‎The President said African countries must also engage other nations on the basis of sovereign equality rather than dependency.

‎“Our engagement is no longer going to be subservient to anybody. We are going to engage as equals, and we are going to pursue sovereign equality. Every nation is equal to the other,” he said.

‎Ruto also reiterated his call for an end to the export of raw materials from Africa, saying the continent must process its resources locally to create jobs and wealth.

‎“We are no longer going to continue with exploitation, with raw material extractives. Our raw materials will no longer be exported,” he said.

‎He said Kenya would implement the same policy, particularly in the exploitation of minerals such as those found in Magadi, Kajiado County.

‎“But I am in charge of Kenya. So in Kenya, we are going to do it. We will no longer continue to export raw materials from Kenya. All our raw materials, including Magadi here, they are going to be added value in Kenya,” Ruto said.

‎He said the Government would encourage investors to establish industries locally, including glass and chemical manufacturing plants, rather than simply extracting and exporting minerals.

‎“We are going to have glass factories in Kenya, we are going to have chemical industries in Kenya. We are going to hire Kenyan young people. We are going to use Kenyan talent,” he said.

‎The President said international investors remained welcome, but their role would have to change from extraction of resources to investment and value addition.

‎“We want them to invest. We do not want extraction anymore,” he said.

‎Ruto said the policy represented the official position of his administration and was part of a broader push to transform Africa's natural resources into industrial opportunities.

‎“And I am saying that as the President of Kenya, that is the position of the Government of the Republic and the people of the Republic of Kenya,” he said.

‎“We are no longer going to continue matters extraction.”

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