Kenya’s President William Ruto is calling for African countries to give priority to climate change, which has devastated the continent, by leading in development of clean energy.
He says despite being the most affected by climate change, Africa has the opportunity “to lead the world and show that we do not need to destroy the climate to prosper”.
Writing in the UK’s Guardian newspaper, he points out how millions of Kenyan people and in the Horn of Africa are suffering from a devastating drought due to climate change.
“Climate change drives the droughts that affect the provision of water; destroys lives and livelihoods; cripples food production, and destroys our homes and infrastructure”.
He says the current energy crisis, which has been made worse by the Ukraine war, calls for less reliance of fossil fuels and more investment in clean energy.
He cites Kenya’s efforts, whose energy uses he says comprise 74% clean energy, while committing to a 100% by 2030.
He says Kenya will now demand the delivery of finance and technology that Africa needs to adapt to climate change, at the globalclimate summit in Egypt next month.