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Kenya: A Country Looking Towards the Future
Full statement by His Excellency Hon. William Samoei Ruto, Phd, C.G.H., President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-In-Chief of the Defence Forces, during a public lecture at Luiss School of Government April 21, 2026 Rome, Italy
Chairman of the Med-Or Italian Foundation, Dean and President of the University, Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Students, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to join you here in Rome. I thank the Med-Or Italian Foundation and the LUISS School of Government for convening this important conversation under the theme Kenya: A Country Looking to the Future.
I address you in two distinct, yet complementary capacities: first, as a Kenyan; and second, as an African.
Allow me, however, to begin with the broader global context. We are living through a period in which many of the certainties that have defined the global order for decades- including multilateral institutions, predictable trade systems, and longstanding security alliances- are faltering.
Conflict has returned to the centre of international affairs, from Ukraine in recent years to the Middle East in recent weeks. Trade routes have assumed renewed strategic significance, as reflected in rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Security, meanwhile, is no longer confined to territorial borders; it now extends into cyberspace, energy systems, and critical infrastructure.
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