President Ruto Travels to Angola for Key African Union Summits
The agreement is set to promote exports, create new markets, and anchor Kenya’s larger economic transformation process.
File image of President William Ruto departing Nairobi for Accra, Ghana, on January 6, 2025.Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
President William Ruto today left the country for Angola, where he is expected to attend two key African Union meetings on strengthening integration on the continent, deepening partnerships, and fast-tracking institutional reforms in the union.
The Head of State will attend the 7th African Union–European Union Summit and the Second Session of the Ad Hoc Oversight Committee on AU Institutional Reform. President Ruto will chair the reform committee in his capacity as the AU Champion for Institutional Reform, a role that places him at the center of ongoing efforts to modernize and streamline the Union’s governance structures.
According to State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, the AU-EU Summit will afford African and European leaders a chance to reflect on 20 years of cooperation and consider ways in which the partnership can be strengthened amidst rapidly changing global dynamics. The meeting shall explore geopolitical shifts, increase financial constraints, and expand security concerns across the continent.
Hussein Mohamed pointed out that the President will use the platform in calling for predictable and sustainable financing for African-led peace operations, including missions that seek to address regional insecurity and cross-border threats. Ruto is also set to champion improved collaboration in counterterrorism, border security, and climate action, areas in which the African continent continues to face mounting pressure.
In addition to the AU agenda, Kenya will advance its Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, a key pillar of the long-term trade and investment agenda of the country. The agreement is set to promote exports, create new markets, and anchor Kenya’s larger economic transformation process.
President Ruto’s visit follows his November 20th State of the Nation Address, where he announced an ambitious development blueprint for the transition of Kenya into a first-world economy. Looking at countries such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia, Ruto said that Kenya’s journey to industrialization and high-income status will need investments of at least Ksh. 5 trillion in strategic sectors.
While in Luanda, President Ruto will also co-chair the Ad Hoc Committee of Heads of State on AU Institutional Reform, during which he updates fellow leaders on the progress made thus far in strengthening the Union’s governance, peace, and security frameworks, as well as financial autonomy. According to the State House spokesperson, the update by Ruto is intended to emphasize ongoing measures aimed at ensuring the AU becomes more efficient, self-sufficient, and best-placed to handle all challenges within the continent. Both summits are expected to play a critical role in shaping Africa’s future relations with Europe and advancing the institutional reforms that will guide the evolution of the AU in the coming years.
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