ADDIS ABABA — President William Ruto has been appointed to lead the African Union’s ongoing institutional reforms. The decision, announced Saturday during the AU Heads of State and Government Assembly, places Ruto at the helm of the continent’s top internal restructuring effort.
Ruto replaces Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the AU Champion for Institutional Reform. His new role involves guiding political strategy and completing the organizational overhaul launched in 2016.
The initiative aims to reshape the African Union Commission, its key organs, and specialized agencies. The goal is to improve the union’s ability to deliver on its programs and respond to Africa’s shifting development needs.
Speaking at the Presidential Dialogue on Global Financial Institutions Reform in Addis Ababa, Ruto used the platform to call out what he described as structural injustices in international finance.
“Africa is not asking for favors,” Ruto said. “We are asking for fairness.”
He argued that countries in the Global South, particularly in Africa, face higher borrowing costs than developed nations, despite carrying the brunt of climate impacts and developmental challenges.
“It is our hope that an expanded and innovative toolkit to deal with Africa’s sovereign debt burden will not only include debt pause clauses and debt-for-nature swaps,” Ruto said, “but also appropriately differentiated treatment of debt incurred to finance green economic growth.”
He emphasized the need for changes in the AU’s voting structure as well, signaling broad support from Kenya’s leadership for reforming how decisions are made within the union.
“I hope we can also start with bottom-up experimentation and innovation,” Ruto said. “2024 and 2025 are crucial years to push the agenda. A high level of coordination among bilateral creditors, private lenders, multilateral institutions, and borrowing countries is essential.”
Ruto’s appointment comes at a critical point for both the African Union and its member states, as the continent seeks greater representation and equity in global governance, while advancing internal reform to meet rising economic and political demands.
