'Africans paying the price for crisis they did not create' - Kenya's Ruto attacks Global North: Video
Kenyan President William Ruto has warned that climate change has become a harsh daily reality for millions across Africa, urging global leaders to confront the crisis with urgency during his address at the 17th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi on Thursday, December 11.
Ruto said the effects of extreme weather, including droughts, floods, and violent storms, are no longer theoretical concerns but are destabilising livelihoods across the continent.
“Africans are paying the price for a crisis they did not create. These extremes are becoming the new global normal,” he said.
The president revealed that Kenya declared a national drought emergency in 20 counties just days ago, leaving citizens facing severe hunger and water shortages.
Ruto also cautioned that rapid changes driven by artificial intelligence, digital technology, and electrification could deepen global inequalities if not aligned with environmental protection and human dignity.
“If this transformation is not aligned with environmental protection, equity, and human dignity, we risk building a new high-tech economy on the old foundation of extraction, exclusion, and pollution,” he warned.
He called for a stronger, more coordinated role for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), stressing that closer collaboration within the UN system is essential for “coherent, cost-effective, and inclusive” global environmental governance.
Ruto further highlighted Africa’s growing leadership in shaping climate solutions, noting the continent’s Climate Summits held in Nairobi (2023) and Addis Ababa (2025).
“[Africa] is not only a victim of the climate crisis, but a co-architect of global solutions,” he said.
More than 170 national delegations gathered in Nairobi for the UNEA session, held under the theme ‘Advancing Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet.’
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
