“Stop Unconstitutional Takeovers!” – Ruto Tells AU, Calls For Preventive Measures
President William Ruto has called on the African Union to take more meaningful and decisive measures to combat military takeovers and unconstitutional changes in administration across the continent.
Ruto stated that it was essential for the union to strengthen rules against what he saw as unlawful power grabs.
On Saturday, February 14, he spoke at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.
He urged the AU to invest more in preventive democracy to protect Africa; it should also strengthen its principles against illegal power grabs and invest more in preventive diplomacy to secure democratic government.
The Head of State submitted these ideas along with a report on the African Union’s institutional reforms.
We are advancing the reforms of the African Union to strengthen the continental institution and enhance its effectiveness in delivering on its mandate.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) February 14, 2026
Presented the Report of the African Union Institutional Reforms at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State… pic.twitter.com/83Bs6a6vPt
The report provided proposals for strengthening member states’ peace, security, and governance frameworks.
The chief of state emphasized the importance of strengthened coup enforcement procedures, increased mediation efforts, and bridging gaps between early warning systems and rapid-response actions.
Ruto emphasized that unconstitutional changes to the government damage stability, hinder economic progress, and weaken public trust in democratic institutions.
His words came in the wake of previous military coups in West Africa, which have called into question the AU’s ability to execute its zero-tolerance policy on illegal power transitions.
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The countries that have recently faced coups include Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Madagascar, niger, Sudan, Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Benin.
Among the key proposals is the scaling up of the AU Peace Fund from $400 million (approximately Ksh 51.5 billion) to $1 billion (Ksh 130 billion) to ensure the union has adequate resources to respond swiftly to emerging crises.
The reforms also seek to strengthen preventive diplomacy and institutional collaboration among member states.
In addition, Ruto proposed operationalising the African Court of Justice and renewed efforts to accelerate ratification of the Malabo Protocol to reinforce accountability and revitalise the Pan-African Parliament’s role.
“Stop Unconstitutional Takeovers!” – Ruto Tells AU, Calls For Preventive Measures
