President Uhuru reaffirms Kenya’s commitment to APRM process

President Uhuru Kenyatta has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), saying the process is important in helping African countries to learn from each other.

President Kenyatta emphasized that African countries do not necessarily have to go and copy what they see in the Western world in order for them to progress.

“We have the capacity to learn from each other. Our circumstances in Africa are different from circumstances in other parts of the world and it is not necessary for us to import, wholesale, models that do not particularly fit our circumstances.

“Through processes like the APRM, we have the capacity to learn from each other. We have the capacity to see the strong points, the weaknesses and what we can do as a continent to improve our governance system and be able to improve service delivery to the people,” the President said.

The Head of State spoke today at State House, Nairobi, when he received the Kenya Targeted Review Report presented to him by the Review Mission Team from the APRM continental secretariat.

The APRM targeted review process focused on the Big 4 Agenda covering the broad sectors of manufacturing, affordable housing, universal healthcare, food security and nutrition as well as cross-cutting governance issues including youth employment, gender equality and diversity management.

Presenting the report, the APRM Targeted Review Mission from the continental secretariat led by Amb. Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika commended Kenya for the progress it has made towards achieving the Big 4 Agenda.

While making recommendations for areas that needed improvement, Amb. Lewanika praised Kenya’s achievements in education, affordable housing, infrastructure and universal healthcare.

“I am particularly impressed and excited about the Linda Mama programme. Other African countries should draw an important lesson from this life-changing programme,” Amb. Lewanika said.

President Kenyatta thanked the APRM continental secretariat for conducting a rigorous targeted review on Kenya, saying the recommendations made will be implemented to scale up the improvement of service delivery to Kenyans.

“We take your criticism from a positive point of view because you criticise with the idea of helping people to improve and do better by pointing out where weaknesses exist and where we can do better,” the President said.

Saying there were areas that Kenya has performed well and other which needed improvement, President Kenyatta assured that the country is ready to draw lessons from others.

“So, it is important for us to have free, frank, open and transparent manner in which we gauge how we are performing and how we are serving our people,” the Head of State said.

He stressed the need for African countries to understand that as allies, they have to work together since they are not in competition with each other.

Present were Head of Public Service Dr. Joseph Kinyua, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani and members of the recently commissioned Panel of Eminent Persons for the County Peer Review Mechanism (CPRM).