Kenya has issued a stern warning that the escalating conflict in the Middle East has plunged the world into a “more complex, perilous, and contested global order.” Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi stated that the economic crisis resulting from the war between the U.S.-Israel alliance and Iran is spreading far beyond the conflict zone, arguing that this necessitates an urgent shift in Africa’s economic and energy strategies.
Although no African country has been directly hit by missiles, Mudavadi emphasized that the continent is suffering from “economic shrapnel” caused by the war.
He pointed out that disruptions to trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz have caused fertilizer prices to spike by 17 percent, creating significant threats to food security in agriculture-dependent nations like Kenya and Tanzania.
“The current crisis reveals an urgent truth,” Mudavadi told diplomats and policy experts. He asserted that African states must diversify their supply chains and accelerate regional integration, noting that the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is no longer just a developmental goal but a matter of survival.
A central theme of Mudavadi’s address was “reimagining” Africa’s energy future. He called on the continent to abandon its unpredictable dependence on the global oil market and transition aggressively toward renewable energy sources.
He challenged the audience by asking if the Middle East crisis would have such a distressing impact if Africa were already powered by clean energy—specifically solar, geothermal, and hydropower.
As a global leader in geothermal energy, Kenya is currently pushing for an international system that prioritizes green industrialization. However, Mudavadi noted that these efforts are being hindered by “interest-driven alliances” that create obstacles to collective progress.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary’s remarks come as the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced it would release 400 million barrels of crude oil reserves to stabilize the market. Despite this intervention, oil prices have hit $119 per barrel, the highest since 2022.
Analysts at Oxford Economics Africa have warned that the conflict could last for another two months, signaling long-term pressure on African oil-importing nations.
