Ruto at UNGA 81: The critical minerals, AI and energy deals Kenya seeks from global investors

For Kenya, UNGA 81 is not only about the speech President William Ruto is scheduled to deliver to world leaders on Wednesday.

Much of the economic agenda is unfolding on the sidelines, where Kenya is using meetings with governments, financiers and multinational businesses to pursue investment, technology partnerships and new markets.

The United Nations General Assembly’s 81st session is running from September 22 to 28 under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

One of the most closely watched engagements has been Ruto’s meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Kenya’s critical minerals move

The Kenya-US talks put critical minerals firmly on the agenda, with Washington saying Kenya’s mineral opportunities could position the country as a key player while creating opportunities for US companies to participate in value addition.

The discussions are significant because Kenya is seeking to move beyond exporting raw minerals.

Among the resources attracting attention are niobium and rare earth elements associated with the Mrima Hill deposit in Kwale County.

Kenya also produces minerals such as rutile, ilmenite and zirconium.

Ruto previously said Kenya and the US had agreed that minerals from Mrima Hill should be processed locally, potentially allowing Kenya to retain more value from its mineral resources instead of simply exporting raw material.

The Rubio meeting also covered nuclear energy and AI, linking minerals to the wider technologies and energy systems that are reshaping global industry.

AI moves from policy to infrastructure

Artificial intelligence is another major thread in Kenya’s UNGA agenda.

Ruto has called for African countries to have a greater role not only in using AI but also in building the infrastructure, skills and rules governing it.

At a high-level meeting in New York, he argued that Africa should become a builder of technologies rather than remain dependent on systems developed elsewhere.

Kenya and Finland are also advancing an AI partnership focused on investment, infrastructure and skills.

Separately, Kenya has joined France, Spain and Australia in supporting work towards a global roadmap for protecting children in the age of AI.

The Kenya-US discussions have also explored AI applications in healthcare, education and financial services.

Importantly, no new US financing package or specific AI project was announced from the Rubio meeting, meaning the immediate outcome is cooperation and investment discussions rather than a completed bilateral deal.

The Africa-financing-Africa argument

Finance is perhaps the broader economic theme tying the agenda together.

At the Kenya-European Union Partnership for Multilateralism Summit, Ruto argued that Africa already has substantial domestic savings and assets but lacks mechanisms to channel enough of that capital into development.

His message has been that Africa should mobilise more of its own capital while also reforming international financial institutions and attracting private investment.

That position fits into the wider “Africa-financing-Africa” agenda Kenya is pushing at UNGA, including efforts to use guarantees and financial reforms to unlock capital for infrastructure and businesses.

The Sh2.2 trillion Lamu refinery

Energy has produced one of the most concrete announcements from Ruto’s New York meetings.

The President met Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and Africa Finance Corporation CEO Samaila Zubairu to discuss financing and preparations for the proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu.

The project is estimated by the Kenyan government at about Sh2.2 trillion ($17 billion) and is designed for a reported capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The groundbreaking is scheduled for September 30, with Dangote Industries and AFC involved in the project.

Government projections put potential employment at more than 50,000 - 60,000 jobs and describe the refinery as a way to strengthen regional energy security, industrialisation and local value addition.

The refinery therefore sits at the intersection of nearly every major theme Kenya is taking to UNGA:

Foreign capital, energy security, manufacturing, jobs and regional trade.

What Kenya is seeking from UNGA 81

Kenya wants capital, technology and markets - but increasingly wants those partnerships tied to local processing, skills, infrastructure and value addition.

Critical minerals could feed advanced manufacturing.

AI could create new digital industries.

Energy investments could support manufacturing and reduce import dependence. And financial reforms could determine whether African savings can fund more of these projects.

Ruto’s main UN General Assembly address, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in New York, is expected to bring those themes into the formal debate alongside Kenya’s broader calls for changes to global finance and international governance.