Africa will defeat poverty and insecurity through trade and infrastructure development

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki (L) during panel discussion at the ongoing Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algeria, September 4, 2025. /DPCS

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has declared that the 21st century belongs to Africa, saying the continent has the potential to defeat poverty and insecurity through trade, infrastructure and digital innovation.

Speaking at the ongoing Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algeria, Kindiki said Africa is on the verge of realising its long-standing aspirations.

“This is Africa’s century because the two aspirations we have always struggled to achieve will be achieved in this century: to liberate the African citizen from fear, and to empower them to live free from want and poverty,” he stated.

He emphasised that political independence is meaningless without economic empowerment.

“Political liberty without economic liberty is futile. Trade is the route that will drive poverty and want from Africa,” he said, urging Pan African institutions to seize the moment to liberate citizens from insecurity and deprivation.

The Deputy President highlighted Kenya’s commitment to intra-African trade through massive investments in infrastructure and technology.

He pointed to flagship projects such as the Lamu Port and the LAPSSET Corridor, which connect Kenya to Ethiopia and South Sudan with roads, pipelines, internet connectivity and, in the future, a railway line.

He also noted that the Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Nairobi is being extended to Uganda and eventually to the Democratic Republic of Congo, envisioning a link from the Indian Ocean to the West African coast.

To ease the flow of goods and people, Kindiki said Kenya is building modern one-stop border posts with Tanzania, Ethiopia, and soon South Sudan and Somalia.

He added that modern roads, railways and internet connectivity will be central to facilitating African trade.

Digital infrastructure, he stressed, is equally vital.

He revealed that Kenya has embarked on an ambitious programme to lay 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable, of which 24,000 kilometres are already complete.

At the same time, Kenya’s advances in mobile money and fintech demonstrate how technology can drive trade, while regional integration will require perfecting the Pan African payment system for seamless, real-time settlements in local currencies.

Kindiki said Africa must also rethink how it finances growth in the face of shrinking space for taxation and rising debt.

He called for more innovation in resource mobilisation and increased reliance on Public Private Partnerships to fund critical infrastructure and services.

He further stressed that Africa’s prosperity must be inclusive.

“For Africa to achieve prosperity, it must be inclusive across generations, gender, and regions. Women and young people must be deliberately included in our growth story,” he said.

In his closing remarks, the Deputy President reiterated his conviction: “This is Africa’s century. It must be a century of inclusive growth and shared prosperity.”

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