President William Ruto has recalled a conversation he had with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres regarding whether Kenya was at risk of defaulting on its international debts after he assumed office.
Speaking at State House during a meeting with chiefs and assistant chiefs on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at the unveiling of the Jukwaa la Usalama report, President Ruto revealed that Guterres privately asked him if Kenya would be able to meet its debt obligations.
He said Guterres questioned him directly about the possibility of a default, to which Ruto responded that he believed God would intervene to help Kenya meet its financial commitments.
“In fact, among the people we met after I was elected was someone called António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He asked me, ‘Mr. President, the day Kenya fails to pay its debts, what will you do?’ I told him, God will help me, Kenya cannot fail to pay its debts,” Ruto said.
Ruto Recalls Debt Conversation with António Guterres
The Head of State stated that many people around the world believed Kenya would be unable to repay its debts, a perception that he said prompted the UN Secretary-General to raise similar concerns.
President Ruto further explained that he held a series of meetings with key government officials to ensure that, under his administration, Kenya would not default on its loan repayments.
“I went and sat in an office called Number Six with several officials, and we agreed that we cannot be a country that carries the shame of defaulting,” Ruto said.
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He added that he had to make very difficult decisions to enable Kenya to meet its debt obligations, including scrapping fuel subsidies, which he argued had become an avenue for massive theft.
President Proud of Decisions He Made to Repay Debts
Ruto further noted that he also removed subsidies on maize flour, saying they did not offer a sustainable solution to Kenya’s food security challenges.
The President acknowledged that although his tough decisions have resulted in difficult times for citizens, he believes the measures have put the country on the right economic trajectory.
“Today, as I stand before you, I can confidently say that our economy is on sound footing,” he stated.
President Ruto said that if he had not taken these measures upon assuming office, Kenya would have been among the six countries projected to default on debt repayments.
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He added that Kenya was listed among six nations predicted to default, and as of today, five of the six have already defaulted, leaving Kenya as the only country that has not.
The Head of State reiterated that although his decisions may be unpopular now, they will be beneficial in the long term.
“As the leader of the Republic of Kenya, I have to ensure that I make decisions that may not be popular at the moment. They may not be easy now, but the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term difficulties,” Ruto said.
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