New York, Usa — President William Ruto has been recognised as the Global Champion of Adequate Housing for All in acknowledgement of Kenya's leadership in tackling the worldwide challenge of inadequate and decent housing.
The honour was bestowed during the High-Level Roundtable of the Global Champions on Adequate and Affordable Housing, held on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Wednesday. Presidents Duma Boko of Botswana, John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach were among the leaders present.
The meeting, which brought together 25 countries, the United Nations, development partners and local banks to adopt a historic Call for Action on Adequate and Affordable Housing, heard President Ruto propose the creation of a Coalition of Global Housing Champions - a high-level political platform of like-minded heads of state advocating transformative and inclusive housing policy and practice. He stressed the need for joint international efforts to confront the global housing crisis, rally political will and mobilise resources, saying the challenge "is too vast for any one country to solve."
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The President called on the United Nations to adapt to current realities, "being fit for purpose, impact-driven, and responsive to the needs of the world," and described UN-Habitat as "indispensable" in linking global aspirations to local transformation. He urged nations to embed housing in national development strategies and recognise it as central to the Sustainable Development Goals, climate resilience and social equity.
He also advocated scaled-up, predictable financing for housing through stronger support for UN-Habitat, partnerships with financial institutions, and innovative models that match the scale of the challenge. "Without adequate and predictable financing, adequate and affordable housing will remain out of reach," he said, adding that coalitions should unite governments, cities, the private sector and communities to make housing a reality, not just an aspiration. He cited Kenya's Affordable Housing Programme - anchored in the Affordable Housing Act 2024 - which aims to deliver 200,000 affordable units a year as engines of job creation, urban renewal and equity, with nearly 170,000 units already under construction creating 320,000 jobs.
Speaking later at the General Debate of the 80th UNGA, President Ruto widened his message beyond housing, warning that the United Nations faces its "deepest crisis in credibility and capacity" unless it reforms to meet current global realities. He called for an overhaul of the international financial architecture to give developing nations fairer access to development finance, criticised the Security Council's post-1945 structures, and urged that Africa be granted permanent seats. "You cannot claim to be the United Nations while disregarding the voice of 54 nations," he said.
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On peace and security, Ruto highlighted Kenya's leadership of the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti as a "living lesson" of both the strengths and weaknesses of current global governance, noting the mission's success despite being underfunded and under-equipped. He pressed the Security Council to ensure a careful transition and sustained support for Haiti. He also reaffirmed Kenya's concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, called for the unconditional release of Israeli hostages, and backed a credible political process towards a two-state solution.
Ruto underscored that climate change is "the single greatest threat of our age" but also "one of the greatest transformation opportunities," highlighting Kenya's 93% renewable-energy grid, investments in e-mobility and climate-smart agriculture, and Africa's unified voice through the Nairobi and Addis Ababa climate declarations. He called on the global community to unlock climate finance and accelerate reforms of the Bretton Woods institutions so that they serve all countries fairly rather than reinforcing old hierarchies.
Concluding his address, the President said the UN's 80th anniversary "must be more than a commemoration; it must be a turning point" to rebuild the organisation into one that "commands legitimacy, responds with speed, and delivers justice for all."
