President William Ruto has called on world leaders, development partners and environmental stakeholders to move beyond pledges and accelerate action to protect the world's oceans, warning that the growing impacts of climate change and marine pollution demand immediate and coordinated responses.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the 11th edition of the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa on Thursday, Ruto said the global community had reached a critical moment in the fight to safeguard marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods.
“We have come to the close of a consequential and momentous gathering in our shared effort to secure the future of our ocean,” the President said, commending delegates for four days of “productive, candid and forward-looking deliberation.”
Ruto highlighted the mounting pressures facing the world's oceans, noting that they have long absorbed the effects of human-induced climate change.
“By absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, and almost a third of our carbon dioxide emissions, it has quietly altered its own chemistry and physics to shield the rest of us,” he said.
However, he warned that the ocean's capacity to absorb these impacts is being stretched to its limits.
“Rising seas are displacing millions in low-lying coasts and islands. Acidifying waters are corroding the base of the marine food chain and the livelihoods built upon it,” he said.
The President further pointed to stronger storms, marine heatwaves, coastal flooding and plastic pollution as growing threats to communities and economies worldwide. He argued that inadequate financing, weak political commitment, slow deployment of technology and fragmented governance structures have hindered global efforts to address these challenges.
Despite the challenges, Ruto said significant progress had been made through recent international agreements aimed at strengthening ocean governance.
He cited the entry into force of the High Seas Treaty, which provides a legal framework for protecting biodiversity in international waters, and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which took effect in September 2025.
“I say this with particular pride, as Kenya was among the nations whose ratification finally carried that agreement over the line, and into force. We do not merely host the conversation. We help carry it,” he said.
The President revealed that the conference attracted more than 6,000 delegates from 56 countries and resulted in over 300 new commitments valued at approximately $6.4 billion.
Kenya alone made 50 commitments worth $1.1 billion to support the country's blue economy agenda.
According to Ruto, the commitments are expected to expand marine protected areas, restore fisheries, combat climate change, reduce pollution and strengthen maritime security.
He emphasized that sustainable economic growth and environmental conservation must go hand in hand.
“We have also committed to a different model of growth, one that combines economic opportunity with conservation through offshore renewable energy, the transition to circular and biodegradable materials, sustainable fisheries, and inclusive national Sustainable Ocean Plans,” he said.
However, the Head of State cautioned that commitments alone would not solve the crisis unless matched with adequate resources and implementation.
“Commitments without the means to deliver them will never match the urgency or the scale of what the ocean now demands of us,” he said.
Calling for innovative financing, technology transfer and stronger international cooperation, Ruto urged stakeholders to transform political promises into tangible results.
“We did not come to Mombasa to add our names to a longer list of promises. We came to turn the tide. Let the measure of this conference not be what we pledged on the shore, but what we deliver in the water,” he said.
As the conference concluded, the President thanked delegates for their contributions and reiterated the importance of global collaboration in securing a resilient and sustainable future for the world's oceans.