Of William Ruto's big talk at UNGA with small action at home

President William Ruto is facing renewed criticism over his speech at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with pundits accusing him of painting a picture that is at odds with the reality on the ground in Kenya.

During his visit to New York, the Head of State used his address at the UNGA to strongly advocate for sweeping reforms to global governance and financial systems, particularly emphasising Africa’s exclusion from the United Nations Security Council.

Ruto criticised the current international order, under which Africa’s 54 countries have no permanent seat on the Security Council, stating that “equality proclaimed in this assembly ends at the doors of the Security Council.”

He demanded at least two permanent seats for Africa with full veto powers, in addition to increased non-permanent representation.

Ruto argued that excluding 54 nations from critical peace and security decisions undermined the moral authority and credibility of the United Nations.

The President also advocated for a global financial overhaul and called for fairer financial systems and affordable development finance, emphasising an “Africa-Financing-Africa” model that leverages the continent’s domestic savings rather than relying heavily on external debt or outdated Western-dominated institutions.

His UNGA address also touched on human rights and inequitable resource distribution, while he faced questions over abductions following a meeting with Winnie Byanyima, wife of detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye.

Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, raised her husband’s continued detention with Ruto during their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Besigye disappeared in Nairobi in November 2024 before later resurfacing in Uganda, where he was presented before a military court. Byanyima maintains that he was abducted in Nairobi by Ugandan security officials.

“I also raised the continuing persecution of Dr Kizza Besigye. He was abducted in Nairobi in November 2024, forcibly taken to Uganda and has remained in detention since,” Byanyima posted on X, alongside a photograph of herself greeting Ruto.

She argued that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni cannot wash his hands of an abduction that ended with his political opponent before a Ugandan military court and, nearly two years later, still in prison.

“African leaders must speak out against abduction and political persecution, and for respect for human rights and the rule of law,” she said.

Besigye disappeared in broad daylight from Nairobi in November 2024 and was later taken to Uganda, where he was charged with treason-related offences. His lawyers, supporters and rights activists have described the charges as politically motivated.

Pundits now argue that whereas the President did a stellar job advocating for reforms internationally, the exact opposite was happening back home under his Kenya Kwanza administration.

During his speech, Ruto tied human rights to historical justice, equal global representation and systemic fairness. He highlighted what he described as the lack of equal rights for the African continent on the global stage as a direct failure of the international system.

He also highlighted that last year alone, the world recorded 65 state-based armed conflicts, the highest number documented in eight decades of global conflict data. Thirteen reached the scale of war, while nearly a quarter of a million people were killed in organised violence. One-sided violence against civilians also reached levels not witnessed since 1994, the year of the genocide in Rwanda.

“From Europe to the Middle East, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, civilians are paying the price. Cities are destroyed. Families are displaced. Hunger deepens. Supply chains are disrupted, driving up the cost of food, fuel and essential goods far beyond the battlefield. Children inherit wars they did not begin and cannot understand. Too many disputes are no longer being settled; they are being frozen, deferred or decided by force,” said Ruto.

He also criticised inequitable resource distribution in the context of debt, capital and the cost of development.

“...The test of equality does not end with the institutions that govern peace. It extends to the institutions that shape prosperity. The same question confronts us there: does the international system give every nation a fair opportunity to secure the wellbeing of its people?” posed Ruto.

“Global public debt reached a record 102 trillion dollars in 2024. Developing countries accounted for less than a third of that debt, yet paid about a trillion dollars in interest in that year alone. Forty-six developing countries now spend more on interest than on either health or education. Behind these numbers lies a simple reality: the hospital competes with the creditor, the classroom competes with debt service, and too often the creditor is paid first,” he added, noting that it is African children who inherit the consequences.

Pundits, however, argue that despite Ruto’s bold and impactful speech, his administration has been practising the exact opposite of what he proposed at the General Assembly.

His administration has in the recent past been accused of spending resources in areas where the Head of State thinks he will get electoral support, as opposed to ensuring equitable distribution across the country.

Critics pointed to the Ol Kalou and Mbeere North by-elections, where development projects and government officials were highly visible during the campaign periods. In Ol Kalou, reports indicated that more than Sh10 billion worth of government resources and projects had been deployed ahead of the July 16 by-election, with government officials taking an active role in the campaigns.

In Ol Kalou, Principal Secretary for Blue Economy and Fisheries Betsy Njagi, alongside other principal secretaries, unveiled two fishing boats worth Sh5 million in the constituency.

The Opposition, however, insisted that the projects were being rolled out to influence voters ahead of the by-election.

Ruto’s administration also faces accusations over violations of human rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including allegations surrounding abductions, insecurity and what critics describe as a growing culture of political goonism.

A report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights recorded 82 cases of abductions or enforced disappearances between June and December 2024. The commission said 29 people remained missing at the time of its December 2024 statement.

Many of those cases were reported after the country’s youth-led anti-tax protests. The commission said those abducted included vocal critics, particularly on social media, and described the cases as having been carried out by unidentified armed persons.

Further, according to the report of the Presidential Taskforce on Police Reforms, released publicly by former Chief Justice David Maraga, 3,958 deaths were recorded during the first four years of Ruto’s administration, according to figures cited by Maraga. He said this translated to an average of about 990 deaths a year, or nearly three deaths every day.

Maraga compared the figure with 4,035 deaths recorded over 10 years under former President Mwai Kibaki, an average of 404 a year, and 4,150 deaths recorded during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 10-year tenure, an average of 415 a year.

Maraga, who chaired the task force, said the comparison was particularly troubling because the Kibaki-era figure included deaths linked to the 2007-08 post-election violence.

“We must note that under President Ruto, more deaths, currently at 3,958 in four years, an average of 990 per year, are a result of police brutality, a number far beyond 4,035 in 10 years for President Kibaki, who averaged 404 a year,” he stated.

He added that the Kibaki figure included post-election violence deaths, while the Uhuru-era figure stood at 4,150 over 10 years, an average of 415 a year.

Professor of Management and Leadership at Multimedia University of Kenya Gitile Naituli now argues that Ruto’s speech at UNGA depicted him as a leader fond of talking tough but acting blind.

“President Ruto has been consistent at speaking from both sides of his mouth. He mostly speaks the opposite of what he plans to do. Listening to him at UNGA you would think that Kenya has an angel for president but back home Ruto governs like there’s no law,” says Naituli.

The professor also observes that Ruto forgot that he was speaking to people who know exactly what is happening in Kenya by the second.

“..There is no way you can tell me that Kiza Besige was taken without the knowledge of the government. It was even alleged that the Kenyan police helped plant the guns that were found in his room. That was a violation of his right,” adds Naituli.

Ruto’s speech also attracted criticism at the global stage after business leader Doanh Chau accused the President of poor leadership and a lack of policy execution.

“Yes, the message is powerful. Powerful enough to tell the international audience: Kenya is ready; please invest more. But investors eventually leave the conference hall and start asking less glamorous questions: Is the electricity reliable? Are the roads there? Are contracts enforceable? Is procurement transparent? Can capital trust the institutions? That is where a powerful speech meets reality,” stated Chau.

“You can stand in New York and talk about billions for education, technology and development. But back home, if the lights are flickering, infrastructure is inadequate and citizens are questioning governance and accountability, another investment speech will not solve the problem. Africa does not lack speeches. Africa does not even lack capital looking for opportunities.It lacks enough bankable projects, reliable institutions and accountable execution to turn that capital into development. Before asking the world for another dollar, perhaps the more important question is what happened to the dollars already invested?” he further posed.