Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for Africa to have permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, saying global institutions must become more inclusive to maintain public trust.
Speaking during the Global Trust Summit in Nairobi on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Mudavadi said international institutions could only retain their legitimacy if they fairly represented countries affected by their decisions.
He argued that Africa deserved a greater say in decisions affecting its security, economic development and future, pointing to the continent’s lack of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Mudavadi said permanent African representation, in line with the African Union’s Common African Position, would help strengthen confidence in the United Nations among African citizens.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary also called on governments and international institutions to embrace transparency, accountability and inclusive decision-making, warning that public trust could not be sustained through words alone.
“When a society loses the trust of its people, it risks losing the very foundation upon which its institutions, prosperity and common future depend,” Mudavadi said.
He added that institutions should earn public confidence through their actions rather than expect people to trust them without question.
“The strongest institutions are not those that ask people to trust them blindly, but those that inspire confidence through their conduct while remaining transparent, answerable and open to scrutiny,” he said.
Africa’s demand for permanent representation on the Security Council has been part of a wider campaign to reform the global body’s decision-making structure.
The council has 15 members, including five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The five permanent members hold veto power over substantive resolutions, while the other 10 members are elected for two-year terms.
The African Union’s Common African Position calls for at least two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats for Africa on an expanded council. The bloc has also maintained that new permanent members should enjoy the same privileges as existing ones, including veto power for as long as the veto remains in place.
Kenya has previously supported the reform campaign. In June 2025, Mudavadi led a Kenyan delegation to a meeting of the African Union’s Committee of Ten on Security Council reform in Lusaka, Zambia, where African countries renewed calls for a more representative council.
At the Nairobi summit, Mudavadi urged participants to move beyond declarations and develop practical plans to rebuild trust, with clear commitments and mechanisms to monitor progress.
He said the meeting’s success should be measured by whether its commitments translated into meaningful changes for citizens.
The three-day Global Trust Summit, running from October 21 to 23, has brought together public-sector leaders and other stakeholders to discuss governance, public confidence, economic inclusion and international cooperation.