'Donation' of Powers to AU & Single Currency: Kenya's Ruto Urges Africa to Advance Integration

Kenya's President William Ruto has asked the member states of the AU to cede more authority to the continental body as part of reforms aimed at making its work more efficient, as well as advancing regional integration.

Ruto delivered his remarks at a summit of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) in Zambia's capital Lusaka. According to the president, African states must consider reforms a top priority at the AU, because without the necessary changes in the way the bloc is operating, it would be difficult to realize all their aspirations.

He in particular referred to the implementation of the bloc's vision, including Agenda 2063, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and such slogans as "African Solutions for African Problems."

"The AU Reform Agenda must, therefore, be a priority and we must interrogate and conduct the process to ensure that structurally, the roles of the Bureau, Summits, Committees, Regional Caucuses, Secretariat and Commission are duly rationalized to give Africa a fit-for-purpose continental governance body with the capacity to engage globally," the president said.

He explained that the work of all the structures within the AU must be clearly identified. The Kenyan leader stated that the continental bloc should empower itself with sufficient capacity, otherwise, its vision "will never be a reality."

Ruto emphasized that only by working together can African nations achieve their primary goals, which among other things include the need to ensure regional stability and peace, food security, dynamic economic growth, and sustainable development.

"Member states must consider donating power to AU on matters trade, regional and global security as well as other areas that Africa can benefit from engaging together rather than individually," the president said.

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Speaking about concrete actions, the Kenyan president proposed to merge the AU Summit chair with that of the Commission's in order "to give it sufficient leverage to engage on behalf of Africa." The summit chair is a rotational, ceremonial role, shared annually among leaders of member states, while the Commission's chairperson is an electable position with the winner running the Secretariat of the AU.

Even though there were no indication of whether the proposal could gain much support, African leaders have repeatedly emphasized that it is necessary to introduce several reforms to the bloc. A team of experts led by Rwandan President Kagame, which thoroughly examined AU’s processes, identifying 19 areas of improvement, and indicating the need to make the AU Commission more efficient, improve decision-making and ensure sustainable financing.

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During his speech at the regional bloc's 22nd summit of the 14-member countries, Ruto also touched upon the topic of introducing a single African currency, noting that it would significantly ease trade on the continent. He underlined that in the context of enhanced regional integration Africans would not have to worry about which currency to trade in.

"Our people cannot trade without worrying about which currency to use. This, among other non-tariff barriers, is something we must urgently address so that our people can begin to trade together and integrate," President Ruto stressed.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, COMESA chairman, for his part, stated that the bloc with a market of 580 million citizens and a combined gross domestic product of over $720 billion should amplify regional trade and promote continental integration. In this regard, he urged member states to cooperate in building regional infrastructure that would facilitate the movement of goods and people.