President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday afternoon wrapped up his visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he attended the 28th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly.
Upon arrival on Saturday morning and after holding bilateral talks with several Heads of State and Government, the President proceeded to the AU Headquarters where he chaired the 26th African Peer Review Mechanism Forum.
At the forum, Kenya was praised for the progress it has achieved in recent years in terms of improvement in governance.
Kenya was among countries that were reviewed at the forum and the country was hailed for initiatives that have improved services to Kenyans.
In its executive report on Kenya, the APRM said Kenya has scored impressive gains in many sectors of governance.
The report highlights eight best practices in Kenya that include the Kenya Huduma Centres for improving service delivery, a key flagship project of the Jubilee Government.
The Kenya National Human Rights on Commission and the Gender-Based Violence Recovery Centres in major public hospitals were also cited as best practices.
The new system of devolution where governance was taken closer to the common man was also listed as an exemplary initiative.
The high revenue generation, internationally acclaimed mobile banking through M-Pesa platform, an active corporate social responsibility and the successful free maternity services were the other best practices.
The President prepared a report on the status of APRM in which he spoke on how the peer review mechanism is picking up momentum under his leadership.
Three countries — Djibouti, Chad and Senegal — were reviewed for the first time while Kenya was reviewed for the second time.
Namibia also enrolled in the process with President Hage Geingob pleading commitment to the APRM values.
On Sunday, President Kenyatta held bilateral talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
At the meeting, the new UN chief urged for a reset of ties between Kenya and the UN after disagreements over the removal of a Kenyan General from the command of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
The UN also offered Kenya to take command of the peacekeeping forces in Darfur, Sudan.
On Monday, President Kenyatta attended the opening session of the 28th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly where the election for the new African Union Commission Chairman was held.
The election, in which Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed ran as a strong contender, was won by Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat.
On Tuesday, President Kenyatta reiterated Kenya’s commitment to combating climate change.
In a statement read on his behalf by Cabinet Secretary Judy Wakhungu, the President said Kenya has demonstrated a commitment to address climate change and has robust initiatives that promote the use of renewable energy in Africa.
The President said Kenya has developed robust policies and legislative framework, which will contribute towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement, which entered into force in November 2016.
The President, in the speech, read at a meeting of Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, said some of the robust policies include a National Climate Change Framework Policy, a Climate Change Act, a National Climate Change Action Plan, a National Adaptation Plan, and a Green Economy Strategy.
“Our Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, builds on the strong foundation laid through these policies,” said the President.
He said the initiatives Kenya has put in place to promote renewable energy include expansion of resources like geothermal, wind, and solar; promotion of low carbon and efficient transportation systems; protection, conservation and management of the environment and natural resources.
--PSCU