President William Ruto has taken his boldest swipe yet at the United Nations, telling world leaders in New York that the body is fast sliding into irrelevance unless it reforms to match today’s global realities.
Speaking during Kenya’s address at the UN General Assembly, Ruto praised the institution for its past role in averting wars and championing human rights, but quickly tore into its failures.
“At this crossroads between renewal and decay, the UN must reimagine its founding promise of peace, development, and human rights in a world reshaped by conflict, climate change, inequality, and disruptive technologies,” he declared.
The Kenyan president zeroed in on what he called the UN’s biggest scandal: Africa’s continued exclusion from permanent membership of the Security Council.
With 54 countries, he argued, the continent cannot keep being sidelined while powerful states monopolize decision-making.
“The UN cannot claim to be united while Africa remains locked out of the top table,” Ruto said, warning that the system’s legitimacy was crumbling.
But he didn’t stop there. Ruto tore into the global financial system, saying outdated rules punish developing nations with crushing debt while rich countries thrive.
He demanded urgent change to stop poor nations from being trapped in cycles of inequality.
His fiery speech echoes a louder push by African and Global South leaders who feel the UN and other multilateral bodies are rigged against them.
Ruto’s message came as global crises dominate this year’s Assembly, with many leaders openly questioning whether the UN can still deliver on its founding promise—or if it has already been overtaken by history.
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