President William Ruto/FILE
President William Ruto will depart for New York, United States, on Saturday evening to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
He will advance Kenya’s investment drive and push for greater African participation in the global digital and artificial intelligence economy.
According to State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, Ruto will seek partnerships in energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, health, agriculture and technology as Kenya seeks to create jobs, expand productive capacity and open new markets.
The President will co-chair roundtables hosted by the Africa Finance Corporation and Global Africa Business Initiative alongside industrialist Aliko Dangote.
A key focus will be the planned KSh2.2 trillion ($17 billion) East Africa Refinery in Lamu. The 700,000-barrel-a-day project is expected to create more than 60,000 jobs and strengthen regional energy security.
The project is set to break ground on September 30, 2026.
Ruto will also place artificial intelligence at the centre of his engagements in New York. He and Finland President Alexander Stubb will co-lead the AI Middle Powers Initiative, which seeks to enable countries to combine computing resources, data and talent to build AI capabilities.
Kenya will also advance the Africa Development Bank-backed AI 10 Billion Initiative, which aims to mobilise up to $10 billion by 2035 for investment across Africa.
The initiative is intended to position Africa as a builder and producer across the AI value chain.
Ruto will further sign a global declaration and roadmap on child online AI safety alongside leaders from Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
He will also launch an Africa Resilience Compact using AI, satellite earth observation and predictive technologies to strengthen preparedness for El Niño and other climate shocks.
At the Next 3 Billion convening, Ruto will position Kenya as a regional technology, trade and finance hub.
Mohamed said Kenya moved KSh41.68 trillion through M-Pesa in a single year, while platforms such as Ziidi Trader are extending digital access from payments to investment and ownership.
In his UN General Assembly address, Ruto will champion an “Africa-financing-Africa approach”, with Kenya calling for reforms and international guarantees to unlock more African capital for infrastructure and enterprise.
The President will also highlight the National Infrastructure Fund, designed to mobilise up to $40 billion without adding to public debt, while advancing Africa’s call for greater representation in global institutions.
On the sidelines of the assembly, Ruto will engage Heads of State and Government, multilateral institutions and global corporations on trade, investment and diplomatic cooperation.
He will also meet the Kenyan diaspora in the United States as the Government advances a Diaspora Investment Platform to channel diaspora capital into productive investment at home.
