Kenyatta Calls for Deeper Integration, Intra-African Trade at APRM Summit

Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta has called for deeper integration, intra-African trade as well as social and cultural interactions that boost peaceful coexistence on the African continent.

He rooted for the fast-tracking of the integration of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) into the African Union system as a strategy for achieving institutional stability and sustainability.

During the summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism, which he has chaired for the past two years, President Kenyatta gave emphasis to improve governance as an impetus to development.

“We must not lose sight of the most important element of peer reviews – the need to improve governance as a prerequisite of accelerated and shared development across our continent,” the President said.

APRM focuses on improved governance as a vehicle for accelerated development on the continent.

The session held in Addis Ababa is the 27th Summit of the Committee of Heads of State and Government participating in the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

Kenyatta said that this review in which countries assess each other’s progress in governance will only maintain relevance and meaningfulness if they continue to deliver significant improvement in governance across the continent.

He suggested that incentives be introduced as a way to reward member states with demonstrable improvements in sustained efforts on governance reforms.

At the same summit, Kenyatta called on African states to meet their financial obligations to the African Union which is critical in advancing the development of the continent.

He reminded member states of the African Union that the responsibility to finance the continent’s development agenda and improving their people’s lives lies with them.

“The responsibility to adequately resource our Mechanism financially rests squarely on our collective shoulders. Allow me to insist that charity begins at home. Even as we look outwards for support, we must play our part in meeting our obligations,” President Kenyatta said.

While the African Union steers the interests – economic, political, social and humanitarian, of the combined African states, these efforts have often been frustrated by inadequate funding as a result of failure by member states to remit their mandatory contributions.

But Kenyatta said; “Member states should remit their annual contributions on time and pay up arrears. It is important for Africa to make its own strong contribution in funding programmes that grow the continent”.

The APRM Summit was attended by among others; the Guinea President, Alpha Conde, who is the AU Chairperson, as well as Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn.