Mombasa: When Africa stands for the rule of law, the world will stand with Africa, the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has told more than 1,200 lawyers, judges, and government officials attending the Kenya Law Society's 2025 Annual Conference.
According to African Press Organization, delivering the closing keynote titled "Public Finance, Governance, Justice and Development," Dr. Adesina drew a clear link between judicial independence, sound public finance, and sustainable economic growth. He emphasized that Africa's true wealth lies not only in its natural resources but also in its ability to govern them transparently, enforce contracts fairly, and ensure justice for all citizens.
Dr. Adesina stressed the vital connection between justice and development, arguing that access to justice must be universal. He advocated for legal aid, digitized courts, and grievance mechanisms that bring the law closer to citizens, asserting that justice is not merely a byproduct of development but its very foundation.
He urged African nations to strengthen judicial independence and transparency, reform natural resource laws, develop sovereign wealth funds, and build strong African arbitration systems. He challenged Africa's legal professionals to enforce constitutional safeguards on public finance and champion ethics and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.
Dr. Adesina's keynote speech marked the culmination of a three-day conference focused on corporate governance, protecting constitutionalism, responsible public finance management, and the digitalization of legal systems. The closing ceremony saw participation from Kenya's legal luminaries and government officials, including Chief Justice Martha Koome, Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo, Mombasa County Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, and AfDB's Director General of East Africa Alex Mubiru.
The African Development Bank supports its regional member countries in addressing governance, public finance, and justice challenges. In Rwanda and Côte d'Ivoire, Bank support has helped create and modernize specialized commercial courts, reducing dispute resolution times and unlocking significant investment. In Seychelles, Bank-backed constitutional reforms have contributed to a substantial decrease in the debt-to-GDP ratio. In Kenya, procurement and debt transparency reforms are safeguarding public funds.
Dr. Adesina, known as Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief, encouraged the continent's legal community to recognize their role in turning governance into growth. He urged them to uphold the rule of law and execute justice with fairness and righteousness, leaving a legacy for future generations.