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Kenyan President William Ruto has announced that Kenya will stop exporting raw materials for processing abroad, saying the country must move away from an extractive economic model that provides limited benefits to local communities.
Ruto said the government would instead prioritise processing and adding value to Kenya’s natural resources locally before exporting them.
“It is now the policy of the Government that Kenya will no longer be exporting raw materials. All our raw materials, including soda ash from Lake Magadi, are going to be added value in Kenya,” Ruto said.
The president made the remarks on Sunday during a thanksgiving service for Michael Lenasalon, Principal Secretary for Devolution, in South Horr, Samburu County.
Ruto criticised the extractive model, arguing that it allows foreign companies to benefit disproportionately from Kenya’s natural resources while the country earns relatively little from exporting commodities in their raw form.
His announcement reflects a wider push across Africa to increase local processing and reduce dependence on exporting unprocessed commodities.
Many African economies remain heavily reliant on exporting raw materials such as crude oil, cocoa, coffee, minerals and other agricultural products, while much of the processing and higher-value manufacturing takes place outside the continent.
African governments and regional bodies have increasingly advocated value addition, industrialisation and stronger local supply chains as ways to create jobs, increase export earnings and retain more of the economic value generated from the continent’s resources.
Ruto also used the occasion to announce the political cooperation between the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), saying the partnership was helping advance programmes focused on equity and inclusivity.
According to him, the two parties are working through a structured political partnership aimed at promoting national unity, economic stability and governance reforms.
Ruto said Kenya was also moving away from ethnic politics towards issue-based political competition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“In 2022, we started the journey to eliminate the politics of tribalism, hate and division. In 2027, we are confident that the politics of tribalism will have no room in this country,” he said.
“We are changing from tribal to issue-based politics where the vision, agenda and plans are key and not mere rhetoric,” the president added.
