President William Ruto attended the New York Liberty versus Atlanta Dream WNBA game in Brooklyn, New York, where he supported Kenyan basketball star Madina Okot.
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23, Ruto linked Kenya’s sports development to investment in modern sporting infrastructure, grassroots talent development, and opportunities for young people.
Speaking after the win, Okot welcomed Ruto’s attendance, saying his presence was an honour and reflected his support for sports in Kenya.
She noted that she is the only Kenyan playing in the league and hoped her experience would create opportunities for more Kenyan girls to pursue basketball.
“That was a very good honour; I appreciate him showing up,” Okot said after Atlanta’s 83-65 win on Wednesday night. I’m the only Kenyan over here and it just shows how much he supports sports at home. I hope that this opens up opportunities for other girls. I’m so much blessed to get support from him,” she said.
Ruto watched the game with his wife, Rachel, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, and members of NBA Africa.
President Ruto also took a selfie with First Lady Rachel Ruto and Okot as they interacted courtside.
The star said she was delighted to have the opportunity to speak Swahili with the President and the First Lady during their meeting.
Okot is a Kenyan professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Atlanta Dream in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Ruto Addresses the United Nations Council
President William Ruto has called for reforms to the global political and financial systems, arguing that developing countries need greater representation and fairer access to international financing.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, Ruto said the current global system has failed to fully uphold the principles of sovereign equality, particularly in the United Nations Security Council, where five permanent members hold veto powers.
He noted that Africa, with 54 countries and more than a quarter of the UN General Assembly membership, has no permanent representation on the Security Council.
Ruto called for equitable, permanent African representation on the council, including the privileges attached to permanent membership, alongside representation for other deserving regions.
Also Read: Madina Okot: From Mumias to Highest-Drafted Kenyan in the WNBA
Debt Borrowing For African Nations
The President also raised concerns over the rising cost of borrowing for developing countries, noting that global public debt reached $102 trillion in 2024.
He said developing countries hold less than a third of the global debt but pay about $1 trillion in interest, while 46 developing countries spend more on debt interest than on classrooms and medicine.
According to Ruto, developing countries often borrow at interest rates two to four times higher than those available to developed economies.
He called for reforms to risk assessment, greater access to long-term financing and increased use of local-currency financing.
Also Read: What Ruto Secured at UNGA as Kenya Lands New AI, Energy and Trade Partnerships
The President also pointed to the economic potential of Africa, citing its mineral resources, agricultural potential, renewable energy resources and young population.
“Global public debt has reached $102 trillion. Developing countries hold less than a third of that debt, yet they paid about $1 trillion in interest. Forty-six developing countries spend more on debt interest than they do on classrooms and medicine. At the same time, 251 million children and young people are out of school,” Ruto said.
He said the continent should move beyond exporting raw materials and instead increase local value addition to create jobs and retain more economic benefits within Africa.
Ruto further highlighted Kenya’s investments in education, saying the country had allocated an additional $5.3 billion over four years, recruited 100,000 teachers, built more than 23,000 classrooms and was developing 1,600 laboratories.
He also said Kenya expected to break ground within a week on an East African refinery in Lamu, with a planned capacity of 700,000 barrels per day and an estimated investment of $16 billion.
The President said the project was intended to support value addition, create jobs and serve markets across Africa and beyond.
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