Ruto Calls for a Fairer World, Demands Africa’s Voice Be Heard

Qatar, 4 November 2025 - Kenya’s President William Ruto has renewed Africa’s long-standing call for fairness and inclusion in global decision-making, urging major reforms to international institutions that he said have for too long left developing nations behind.

Speaking at the United Nations World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, President Ruto called for justice and equal representation, saying that “true social development cannot thrive without historical justice and fair inclusion.”

Representing the African Group at the summit, Ruto urged the United Nations to expand the Security Council to include two permanent and two non-permanent seats for Africa, saying the continent deserves a stronger voice in shaping global peace and security.

He emphasised that Africa’s push for reform is not a plea for charity, but a demand for justice.

“Poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion have been, and remain, the defining challenges of our time. Confronting them is not charity; it is justice for our people,” Ruto said.

The president linked Africa’s reform agenda to wider global inequalities, pointing to the burden of unsustainable debt, unfair trade systems, and limited access to modern technology.

He called for debt relief, digital inclusion, fair finance, and universal access to healthcare and housing as basic human rights that every nation should enjoy.

Reflecting on progress made since the 1995 Copenhagen Summit on Social Development, Ruto noted improvements in education, healthcare, and food security across many regions.

However, he warned that disparities remain stark, with hunger rising and economic growth slowing in several African and West Asian countries.

“We call for global solidarity to confront inequality in social development and build inclusive societies that put people at the centre of progress,” he said.

President Ruto also reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the Doha Declaration, joining other developing nations in the Group of 77 and China to push for a more equitable international order.

Ruto’s message echoed a growing frustration among African leaders who feel the current world system favours a few wealthy nations. His speech in Doha strengthens his position as one of the continent’s most outspoken voices for reform, calling for a world where justice, dignity, and equal opportunity define global cooperation.

While there, he got to interact with Kenyan Diaspora, who freely expressed their views on how Kenya, Africa, and the world can transform.