Kenyan President William Ruto spoke this morning at the first EU-Kenya business forum, organized in Nairobi, Kenya, by the EU and its member states in partnership with the European business council and the Kenya private sector alliance (Kepsa ), representing the Kenyan private sector, attended by over 600 delegates from all EU countries and representing different sectors.
During his speech, Ruto underlined the importance of the partnership between the EU and Kenya, recalling how the economic destinies of Kenya and the European Union are linked by strong bilateral trade (70% of Kenya’s foreign trade is with European countries) and from historical investment reports.
“This Forum is the beginning of a new development of our economic relations” said Ruto, focusing his speech on the priorities of his development agenda: “Agriculture, industrialisation, digitalisation and the fight against climate change”. In particular, Ruto highlighted how all the policies he intends to promote in the coming years are linked to the concept of “green growth”, which he has repeatedly highlighted as the key to the future not only of Kenya and Europe but of the whole world: “Humanity is at a crossroads,” said the Kenyan president.
“The future is in green growth and green growth is in the African continent: this is the continent that has 15 times the renewable resources of the world, 60% of all renewable solar projects are in Africa, we have cobalt, manganese and all minerals that are needed for batteries and green technology” said Ruto, also underlining how Africa represents the future also in terms of human resources. “This continent has 70% of the population under the age of 30, the human resources to boost manufacturing and industry of the future are here: 1.4 billion people, if you are looking for a new market, here it is”.
Kenya, Ruto said, has every intention of becoming “a leader in green growth”: “We are aligning our industry, our agriculture, our manufacturing in this direction. Cooperation too.”
In his speech, Ruto also underlined the work that his administration intends to do with a view to guaranteeing and improving the rule of law, with independent and strong institutions to attract even more investors from the European Union by guaranteeing taxpayers support, benefits investment assistance.
Ruto also illustrated Kenya as a “gateway to the African market”, noting the 11 recent agreements signed under the African Free Trade Area and which make Kenya “the gateway to 750 million consumers in Eastern and Southern Africa”. [Dal nostro inviato a Nairobi]
Read the Booklet specially created by our editorial staff on the occasion of the EU-Kenya Business Forum: https://www.africaeaffari.it/wp-content/uploads/kenyaworkbook.pdf