Kenya: Ruto Urges Russia to Invest in African Industries, Technology Transfer

What the report says

Kenyan President William Ruto used the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow to press Russia and other international partners to back African industrial development, technology transfer and skills training, according to Capital FM, as distributed by AllAfrica. He said Africa should reduce its reliance on exporting raw materials and instead build capacity to manufacture, process and add value to its own resources.

Ruto argued that industrial partnerships could help create jobs, strengthen local industries and make African economies more competitive in regional and global trade. He singled out agriculture, energy, mineral processing and manufacturing as priority areas, calling for investment in fertiliser production, mechanisation, irrigation, research and agro-processing. He also urged cooperation in education, technical training, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, healthcare and pharmaceutical research.

The president linked these goals to wider economic and policy issues, including climate adaptation, access to affordable finance and reforms to international lending and credit-rating systems. He said Africa’s 54 countries and large market size should translate into stronger representation in global decision-making, including permanent seats on the UN Security Council. The remarks are significant because they reflect Kenya’s push for industrialisation and for Africa to negotiate more equal economic partnerships amid growing competition for investment and technology.