Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urged adherence to international humanitarian law, telling world leaders that only a credible political process could deliver lasting peace.
Speaking from the podium at the 80th United Nations General Assembly, Ruto said Kenya supported the African Union and UN position backing a two-state solution.
“We call for a permanent ceasefire, for strict adherence to international humanitarian law, and for the launch of a credible political process,” he said. “Only through such a process can the vision of two states living side by side in peace, security and stability be realized.”
Ruto framed the conflict in moral terms, warning against double standards in the treatment of human suffering. “We cannot condemn suffering in one place and turn a blind eye in another,” he told the assembly.
He said Kenya was “gravely concerned” by the humanitarian situation in Gaza, citing immense civilian casualties from Israel’s military campaign. At the same time, he called for the unconditional release of Israeli hostages taken since the conflict began.
“Kenya is gravely concerned by the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and by the immense suffering of civilians caught in the devastation of disproportionate military operations,” Ruto said, adding a direct appeal for the captives held since the conflict’s escalation: “At the same time, we call for the unconditional release of Israeli hostages.”
Kenyan solidarity
President Ruto’s remarks on the world stage echo a growing and vocal sentiment within Kenya. On September 21, hundreds of Kenyans marched peacefully in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park to protest Israel’s offensive and express solidarity with Palestinians.
The rally, led by Muslim leaders, civil society groups and rights advocates, drew a diverse crowd. Speakers included Sheikh Jamaludin Osman of Jamia Mosque, MP Farah Maalim, EALA lawmaker Hassan Omar, former senator Billow Kerrow, and Amnesty International Kenya head Irũngũ Houghton. They described the Palestinian cause as a universal human rights struggle and drew parallels with Africa’s own experience of colonialism.
President Ruto’s remarks came just a week after a landmark UN report, covering between October 2023 and July 2025, concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during its Gaza offensive, citing mass killings, deliberate harm, and living conditions aimed at destroying the population.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 65,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023. The enclave has also been pushed to the brink of famine.
