President William Ruto (second right), World Chambers Federation Chairman Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu (second left), Cooperatives CS Wycliffe Oparanya (right) and KNCCI President Erick Ruto arrive for the official opening of the World Chambers Federation Africa Summit 2025 in Nairobi, on April 9, 2025. [PCS]
President William Ruto has broken his silence on the 10 per cent tariff imposed on Kenyan exports to the US, asserting that Kenya will safeguard its interests amid the global trade war, which has prompted retaliatory import tariffs from other nations.
In what appears to be a pushback following US President Donald Trump’s blitz of protectionist tariffs, President Ruto yesterday urged the continent to seize the moment and actualise the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said amid the escalating geopolitical situation, there is still an opportunity for the continent to work on a mechanism to leverage their networks in global trade.
Citing the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), President Ruto said the three trading blocs have the potential to grow Africa into the single largest market in the world.
“Even as other mechanisms are being rolled out by others to do what they think works best for them, we also must think about what works best for us,” said the President. “And we can then have a conversation of equals.”
He was addressing the inaugural World Chamber Forum Africa Summit organised by the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) in Nairobi.
President Ruto said he is open to dialogue and working with the relevant institutions for a win-win deal in the ongoing global trade war instigated by the Trump administration.
“We are keen on working with institutions… like the business institutions here… for us to be able to have greater understanding and work together towards a win-win outcome,” he said.
The President said Africa has enormous potential, citing the continent’s youthful population, mineral resources, and clean energy, saying it is important that trade and investment partnerships are crafted with this in mind.
He emphasized that this potential can be better unlocked through investments in education. This, he explained, is why Kenya allocates Sh5 billion annually to its education sector.
“The era when Africa was merely a source of raw materials is coming to an end,” President Ruto stated. “Africa will now seek partners who collaborate with us to unlock opportunities for value addition, local job creation, and wealth generation. This is the future we envision for our continent.”
The US tariff wars took centre stage at the summit, with Rifat Hisarciklioglu, president of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and World Chamber Federation, warning that they could trigger a global economic meltdown.
“These import taxes have caused significant problems. Investment is slowing, and trade growth is stalling,” he said.
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He stressed that the world has long thrived on free trade—the cornerstone of the ICC—and urged African nations to ensure the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), noting that intra-African trade remains low. “If the AfCFTA is to succeed, it must be built on the foundation of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” said Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya. “Excluding them would result in an integrated market in theory but not in practice. Our role is to empower these businesses through policies that ensure no enterprise, no matter how small, is left behind,” he said.
KNCCI President Erick Rutto highlighted that intra-African trade currently stands at just 16 per cent. He argued that this figure should rise to 68 per cent—matching levels seen in Europe, North America, and Asia.
