President William Ruto is in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with Kenya’s programme centred on investment, infrastructure, artificial intelligence and proposals to mobilise more African capital for development. The visit comes ahead of the UN’s High-Level Week, where world leaders will address security, climate, development, technology and reform of international institutions.
Kenya’s agenda also includes discussions around the proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu, continental AI financing, the National Infrastructure Fund and meetings with governments, multilateral institutions, companies and the Kenyan diaspora.
Key Overview
- UNGA 81 is being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”
- Kenya is seeking partnerships in energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, health, agriculture and technology.
- Ruto is expected to promote an “Africa-financing-Africa” approach built around mobilising more domestic African capital.
- Kenya will advance the AI 10 Billion Initiative, which targets up to $10 billion in financing by 2035.
- The proposed KSh2.2 trillion East Africa Refinery in Lamu will feature in investment discussions.
- The President is also expected to hold bilateral, corporate and diaspora engagements in New York.
Kenya Takes Investment Agenda to UNGA 81
Ruto arrived in New York as leaders gathered for the 81st session of the General Assembly. The session formally opened on September 8, while the General Debate and High-Level Week bring heads of state and government together later in September.
This year’s session is organised under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation”, with discussions spanning peace and security, sustainable development, climate pressures, artificial intelligence and reform of the multilateral system.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has identified debt sustainability, climate finance, digital trade and regional security among the issues it intends to advance during the session.
On the economic side, State House says the President will seek partnerships across energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, health, agriculture and technology, with a focus on expanding investment and productive capacity.
Lamu Refinery Enters the Investment Pitch
One of the largest projects expected to feature in Ruto’s engagements is the proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu. Government statements describe it as a KSh2.2 trillion, or roughly $17 billion, project with a planned processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The government projects that the development could create more than 60,000 jobs and strengthen regional energy supply. The refinery remains a proposed project, and the employment figure is therefore a forward-looking government estimate rather than an existing job count.
Current plans envisage groundbreaking on September 30, 2026. The project has been linked to Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, with Ruto expected to co-chair investment roundtables involving the Africa Finance Corporation and the Global Africa Business Initiative.
Context is everything. Stay ahead of shifting trends with today’s market updates, and uncover emerging opportunities using the Serrari Group Market Index and Marketplace. Then, take control of your own financial future by exploring our Money & Life Reset Transformation Blueprint ™ to build stronger habits, create better systems, and design a path toward lasting wealth.
Africa Financing Moves Up the Agenda
Ruto is also expected to use his UNGA engagements to advance what his administration calls an “Africa-financing-Africa” approach. The argument is that a larger share of the continent’s pension assets, insurance funds, reserves and other domestic capital could be channelled toward infrastructure and enterprise.
Ruto has previously said Africa holds more than $4 trillion in long-term domestic savings, including more than $1 trillion in pension and insurance assets and over $500 billion in central-bank reserves.
Kenya is also expected to highlight its National Infrastructure Fund. The government says the broader investment programme linked to the fund seeks to mobilise about $40 billion for infrastructure and other national priorities without relying solely on additional public borrowing.
AI Financing and Digital Capacity Feature Prominently
Artificial intelligence is another major part of Kenya’s New York agenda. Ruto is expected to co-lead the AI Middle Powers Initiative with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, with the proposed framework focused on pooling computing capacity, data and talent among participating countries.
Kenya will also promote the AI 10 Billion Initiative, launched by the African Development Bank, UNDP and partners. The initiative aims to mobilise up to $10 billion by 2035 for AI infrastructure, entrepreneurship, skills, data systems and policy development across Africa, with a target of supporting up to 40 million jobs.
The President’s programme is also expected to include discussions on child online safety, climate resilience technologies and Africa’s wider participation in the global digital economy.
Bilateral and Diaspora Meetings Round Out the Visit
Beyond the formal UN programme, Ruto is expected to meet heads of state and government, multilateral institutions and global companies to discuss trade, investment and diplomatic cooperation.
He is also expected to engage Kenyans living in the United States as the government develops a Diaspora Investment Platform intended to channel more diaspora capital into productive investment in Kenya.
The New York visit therefore combines multilateral diplomacy with a specific economic agenda: attracting investment into Kenya, promoting large infrastructure projects, expanding AI financing and making the case for greater use of African capital in financing the continent’s development.
Sources: United Nations / Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kenya / Office of the President of Kenya / Kenya Broadcasting Corporation / African Development Bank
Your financial future isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you build.
The real question is: when do you begin?
Move beyond simply staying informed.
Navigate the markets with clarity—track trends through the Serrari Group Market Index, uncover opportunities in the Serrari Marketplace, and build practical knowledge with our Curated Wealth Builder Platform.
Stay connected to what truly matters.
Get daily insights on macro trends and financial movements across Kenya, Africa, and global markets—delivered through the Serrari Newsletter.
Growth opens doors.
Advance your career through professional programs including ACCA, HESI A2, ATI TEAS 7 , HESI EXIT , NCLEX – RN and NCLEX – PN, Financial Literacy!🌟—designed to move you forward with confidence.
See where money is flowing—clearly and in real time.
Track Money Market Funds, Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, Green Bonds, and Fixed Deposits, alongside global and African indexes, key economic indicators, and the evolving Crypto and stablecoin landscape—all within Serrari’s Market Index.
