President Uhuru Kenyatta commended for revitalizing APRM

President Uhuru Kenyatta has been commended for his leadership role in the revitalisation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

The APRM, a specialized agency of the African Union (AU) initiated in 2002 and established in 2003, provides an avenue for member countries to undertake self-assessment in all aspects of governance and socio-economic development for the benefit of their citizens.

President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who is also the current chairperson of the African Peer Forum of Heads of State and Government, on Thursday led African leaders in praising President Kenyatta for his diligence and commitment to entrenching good governance across the African continent through the APRM tool.

The leaders spoke during the virtual 2nd Special Summit of the APR Forum of Heads of State and Government where the targeted review report on Kenya’s Big 4 Agenda pillars was presented.

“I commend my brother President Uhuru Kenyatta for opening up his country to the review team from the APRM continental secretariat that analysed the Big 4 Agenda and other salient issues in Kenya.

“Additionally, it is also noteworthy that Kenya has conducted the most targeted reviews at once,” President Bio said.

In his remarks, President Kenyatta attributed the adoption of many reforms that have benefitted Kenyans to the country’s active participation in the APRM process.

“I can report here with pride and satisfaction that Kenya’s involvement in the APRM has been beneficial to our governance and economic transformation; and that this productive relationship will continue even after my retirement as President following the upcoming general elections in August,” the President said.

He thanked the leadership of the APRM for facilitating Kenya’s targeted review process covering the Big 4 Agenda priority areas of manufacturing, Universal Health Coverage, Affordable Housing and food security as well as four key cross-cutting governance challenges cited in the Kenya’s 2nd Country Review Report of 2017.

President Kenyatta said the purpose of the review was to provide Kenya with an independent, credible and legitimate assessment of the implementation of the Big 4 Agenda and provide recommendations to address any governance and developmental challenges that may have been identified.

“We have taken note of the findings of the targeted review. I am pleased to note the review recognises the progress that we have made on this development agenda. I also welcome the recognition of several good practices that the panel highlights as worth emulating by other African countries,” President Kenyatta said.

The targeted review report on the pillars of Kenya’s Big 4 Agenda was presented by the APRM lead panel member, Amb. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, who congratulated President Kenyatta, the Government and the people of Kenya on the significant progress achieved on the reviewed areas.

President Kenyatta assured the meeting that the recommendations made by the panel will be implemented for the benefit of Kenyans.

“Excellencies, these recommendations resonate very well with our view of what we need to do to empower our citizens; and as such I assure you that they will be seamlessly transited to the next administration for implementation through the Medium-Term Plan IV,” President Kenyatta said.

Senegal’s President Macky Sall who is also the AU chairperson, President Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and President Paul Kagame (Rwanda) as well as Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro of the Kingdom of Lesotho also attended the meeting.

Others were the chairperson of the African Peer Review Panel of Eminent Persons Dr. Ali Abdel-Rhamane Haggar, the APRM Continental Secretariat CEO Prof. Eddy Maloka, Kenya’s Head of Public Service Dr. Joseph Kinyua and National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani.