Ruto Pushes EU to Clear Kenya From Money Laundering Blacklist
Kenyan President William Ruto has appealed to the European Union (EU) to remove his country from its high-risk list for money laundering and terrorist financing.
Ruto made the request on November 12, 2026, during a meeting with heads of EU delegations representing several African countries in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
He said Kenya had made significant progress in strengthening its financial systems, addressing 13 of the 21 deficiencies previously identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The president believes removing Kenya from the list would ease financial restrictions and reduce additional checks on transactions between Kenyan businesses and their European partners.
He also highlighted the difficulties faced by Kenyans living abroad, particularly those sending money home through international banking and remittance services.
According to Ruto, the current classification creates unnecessary hurdles for financial transactions, making cross-border payments and business dealings more complicated for affected individuals and organisations.
Kenya was placed on the European Union’s list of high-risk countries for money laundering and terrorist financing on August 5, 2025.
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