President William Ruto has justified his participation in the Italy-Africa summit this week, a move that contrasts with his earlier condemnation of the practice of summoning African leaders to foreign capitals.
Following the meeting in Rome, Ruto revised his stance, expressing support for the practical approach of appointing a select group of leaders to represent the entire continent.
“I have previously observed that an invitation extended by one country to all 54 African nations did not necessarily align with Africa’s best interests,” as conveyed in a statement released after the session at the Madama Palace in Rome,” he asserted.
President William Ruto received criticism on Monday for his participation in the Italy-Africa summit held in Rome, Italy, with one notable critic being CNN journalist Larry Madowo.
The CNN journalist took to social media to highlight President Ruto’s earlier commitment in April, when he pledged not to attend summons from a single country. Instead, Ruto had emphasized that Africa, as a continent, should be represented by African Union (AU) leaders, as agreed upon in their previous meeting.
“President William Ruto said he and other African leaders would not be summoned by one country. The African Union would represent them going forward. He’s standing just steps away from both the AU chair and the AU Commission chair in Italy, while other East African presidents skipped,” Madowo tweeted.
This comment sparked outrage from Press Secretary of the Presidential Communication Service (PCS), Emmanuel Talam, who asked Madowo to take time and read the president’s speech.
