JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Johannesburg on Friday, 21 November 2025, for the Group of Twenty (G20) leaders' summit, a landmark event being held on African soil for the first time. While Starmer aims to secure investment for the UK and shore up support for Ukraine, the summit's true significance for Kenya and the continent lies in the amplified voice of the African Union (AU), which now sits as a permanent member.

The Johannesburg summit, themed 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability' by host President Cyril Ramaphosa, is poised to champion the development agenda of Africa and the Global South. For the first time, the 55-member AU will participate on equal footing with the European Union, a move hailed by Kenyan President William Ruto as a step that will increase Africa's influence on the global stage. This provides an unprecedented platform to collectively address systemic issues stunting regional growth.

Kenya's Economic Justice Demands

For Kenya, the stakes are immense. The G20, which represents around 85% of global GDP, holds significant sway over the international financial architecture that directly impacts Kenya's economy. Ahead of the summit, Kenyan civil society groups, including the Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) Kenya, have been vocal, demanding concrete action on debt justice, fair taxation, and climate finance. "The G20 continues to operate within an economic framework that deepens inequality rather than confronting it," stated Brenda Osoro, National Coordinator of FIA Kenya, in a media briefing on Thursday, 13 November 2025.

These groups are calling for the cancellation or significant restructuring of unsustainable debt, which would free up crucial fiscal space for investment in public services. They also advocate for global tax reforms to ensure multinational corporations pay their fair share, a key concern as Kenya navigates its own domestic tax pressures.

Starmer's Agenda Meets African Priorities

Prime Minister Starmer has defended his trip as essential for the UK economy, stating his focus is on striking deals to create jobs back home. This aligns with a renewed five-year UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership (2025–2030) signed in July 2025, which aims to unlock over KSh 427 billion in investments for trade, green growth, and technology. The partnership includes significant projects like the Nairobi Railway City and aims to create 30,000 new digital jobs.

However, the summit's broader agenda, heavily influenced by South Africa's presidency, focuses on priorities critical to Kenya and the continent: reforming global lending practices, mobilizing finance for a just energy transition, and ensuring African nations benefit from their critical mineral wealth. African leaders are united in their call for developed nations to meet their climate finance commitments, a crucial issue for a region that suffers disproportionately from climate change despite contributing the least to emissions.

The Trump Boycott: A Geopolitical Sideshow

The summit has been marked by the notable absence of United States President Donald Trump, who announced a full US boycott. Trump cited widely rejected claims of human rights abuses against the white minority community in South Africa as his reason for staying away. The South African government has dismissed the allegations as lacking factual accuracy and President Ramaphosa has labelled the US boycott as "their loss."

Washington also initially stated it would oppose any consensus-based leaders' declaration, a move South Africa decried as "coercion by absentia." However, on Thursday, 20 November 2025, President Ramaphosa announced that the US had indicated a "change of mind" about participation, though the details of this late-hour development remain under discussion. Analysts suggest the US absence, whether partial or total, creates a vacuum that allows African and other Global South nations to push their agenda more forcefully, testing the G20's ability to function without consensus from its most powerful member.

As the leaders convene through Saturday and Sunday, the key outcome for Kenya will be whether the AU's new permanent seat translates from a symbolic victory into tangible commitments on debt, development, and climate action from the world's largest economies.