President William Ruto is optimistic that the continent can stabilize and become more integrated using its people, leaders and resources.
Speaking while addressing the Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the Regional Mechanisms and the African Union Member States at the UN Complex in Gigiri, Nairobi County, Ruto stated that the starting point should be the reforming of the African Union.
He regretted that over five decades after independence, the continent still relies on external funding to drive its agenda.
“We must free the AU from constraints so that it can pursue urgent and critical interventions in the continent using internally-generated resources,” he said.
He insisted it needed to be right for over 60 per cent of AU programmes to be financed by overseas partners.
The President said the Pan-African movement has always been about sovereignty.
“The chronic dependence on well-meaning partners is inconsistent with this aspiration.”
Further, The President told the session that African integration is unstoppable as it will open doors for unprecedented transformation.
He pointed out that the African Continental Free Trade Area will be the world’s largest free-trade area, bringing together 54 countries.
“This single market will lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and boost incomes.”
The President explained that the success of COP27 in Egypt was a signal that Africa is taking off.
