President Ruto challenges Africa to stop going to foreign courts

President William Ruto meeting a delegation from Tharaka Nithi County at State House on August 4, 2025. [PSC]

President William Ruto has called settlement of African commercial disputes on the African soil, challenging the continent to settle its own disputes.

Speaking during the Africa Chief Justice Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Summit held in Nairobi on Friday Morning the President questioned why Africa as a continent still ships its disputes.

Ruto noted that many African commercial disputes are settled in London, Paris and Geneva saying far from the continent where the investments are.

“Africa arbitrators make up fewer than 8 per cent of appointment in the world’s leading arbitral institutions and none of the world 5 most preferred arbitration is in Africa,” he said.

Ruto said that Africa is ‘painfully’ learning not to ship out tea or coffee abroad in raw form for others to add value and keep the reward of the value.

Further questioning why Africa still ships its dispute’s,”Why do African justice like African premium produce taken somewhere else,” he questioned.

The President urged Africa to resolve African disputes on African soil by African jurists and in African institutions; “And by the way that is not protectionism that is sovereignty.”

Chief justice Martha Koome lauded ADR saying it reduces transactional cost, preserves commercial relationship and hence confidence in the business environment.

“Commercial justice must be views as a form of economic infrastructure,” she said.

Koome said that Africa justice systems seek a system that serves rather than intimidate, one that listens rather than dictate and a justice system that resolves dispute rather than merely process them.

“I therefore encourage us to engage candidly and ambitiously. Let us share our successes and our challenges, let us learn from one another’s experience and let us learn towards a common vision in which every African can access justice that is timely affordable, fair and transformative,” she said.