Deputy President William Ruto: Africa is not a continent of problems

Deputy President William Ruto has told African leaders to stop parading their problems to the world. Instead, he said, they should seek solutions to their problems.

Speaking at the   World Economic Forumin Davos, Switzerland, the DP said that when African leaders meet, it is to lament about catastrophes and poverty afflicting the continent. “We have to change this narrative that Africa is a continent that cannot solve its problems. That Africa is just about hunger and poverty.”

He continued: “Let us meet and share the successes and solutions of how we have resolved problems.”

Ruto said it was the failure by leaders to find solutions that has depicted Africa as a continent afflicted by disease, poverty, catastrophe and underdevelopment.

Present at the World Economic Forum meeting were presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (Mali) and Alpha Conde (Guinea), in addition to Ivory Coast Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan and Donald Kaberuka, the President of the African Development Bank. Cabinet secretaries Amina Mohammed and Henry Rotich were also present.

The leaders discussed ideas that could accelerate growth and sustainable development for Africa. Ruto said even developed countries had problems but sought ways to resolve them on their own.

The Deputy President said if African leaders come together they could resolve most of the problems as a continent.

Mr Kagame asked Africa to eliminate barriers that hampered trade and movement of people as this was the biggest impediment to growth. He said the East African Community was on the right track in trying to make it easy for the movement of people and goods within the region.