DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called for accelerated efforts to transform Africa into a first-world continent, saying the region possesses the natural resources, human capital and potential needed to achieve developed status.
Speaking on behalf of President William Ruto at the Infra for Africa Forum and Africa50 General Shareholders Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Kindiki urged African nations to embrace long-term planning, policy stability and innovative financing to drive sustainable development.
“Africa needs to build confidence in itself. As Africans, we must learn to have confidence in our continent and in our capability to do what others have been able to do,” the Deputy President said.
Call for Long-Term Development Vision
Kindiki said African governments should move beyond short-term political, economic and social interests and instead invest in policies and projects capable of delivering lasting transformation.
“We must ensure that the frameworks for projects, programmes and policies we have in place today will still be in place in 30, 40, 50 years ahead so that we take Africa into first-world status because it is possible to do it as already done by other countries,” he said.
He argued that sustained policy implementation is essential if African countries are to compete with developed economies.
Kenya’s Infrastructure Financing Model
The Deputy President highlighted Kenya’s efforts to finance infrastructure through innovative investment models, saying the government has established an Infrastructure Fund to mobilise capital for major development projects.
According to Kindiki, the fund will raise resources through the stock market by selling part of the government’s stakes in selected state-owned enterprises and using the proceeds to attract additional private sector investment.
“In Kenya, we have just put in place an Infrastructure Fund where we are mobilising resources from the stock market by selling part of the stakes in government-owned entities and using the capital to crowd investment by the private sector,” he said.
Inclusive Development
Kindiki stressed that infrastructure development must directly benefit citizens, urging governments to ensure women, youth and vulnerable communities are included in the continent’s development agenda.
“We need to have the people with us. We must carry the people along; women, young people, rural and urban poor. It is not enough to build roads, railways, seaports, harbours and gas pipelines. It is important to ensure the people travel the development journey with us,” he said.
He also identified technological advancement, good governance, stronger public-private partnerships and predictable policy environments as key pillars for Africa’s economic transformation.
Warning Against Policy Disruptions
The Deputy President cautioned that frequent policy changes associated with political transitions remain one of the biggest obstacles to long-term infrastructure development across the continent.
“The biggest threat to Africa’s development today is policy disruption, which is an unintended consequence of democracy. The movement from one administration to another is a good thing, but we must find ways of insulating our development agenda from democratic transitions so that we can have continuity in development,” Kindiki said.
He called on African governments to develop mechanisms that safeguard strategic national projects from political changes.
Regional Cooperation
Kindiki also advocated for stronger regional partnerships to mobilise investment and reduce the cost of financing large-scale infrastructure projects.
“We need to have innovative ways of mobilising resources both nationally and regionally to be able to reduce investor risk and lower the cost of capital and enable implementation of capital-intensive projects,” he said.
The forum was hosted by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and attended by former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, government officials, investors and development partners from across Africa.
