Former President John Agyekum Kufuor will address the Second Kenyan Governors’ Summit which will be hosted in Kenyan’s fresh water lake city of Naivasha from February 26 -27.
The Annual Summit is an innovation by the Nations Media Group, the largest independent media house in East and Central Africa.
The Summit will offer an opportunity for Kenyan governors to examine the progress made under their new Constitution, which was promulgated in 2010, following the peaceful resolution of their electoral dispute; which erupted in 2006, leading to violence and loss of several human lives.
[contextly_sidebar id=”sGOTWm3NI8sTiqKYTj4Au4UwMRjZg505″]Linus W. Gitahi, Nations Media Group Chief Executive Officer, who was in Accra on Monday to formally invite former President Kufuor to the Summit, explained that the 2010 Kenyan Constitution established 47 county governments; of which they unanimously selected the former President as the Special Guest Speaker for the Summit.
Mr Gitahi further explained that the decision by the governors to select former President Kufuor, was based on the role he played during his tenure as Chairman of the Africa Union (AU) – especially in resolving the Kenyan electoral violence.
“There is a new constitution now in place since 2010, and I think it is a great opportunity; and is almost a home-coming for him to come back and see the whole structure that is now working, and he may start challenging us on all-inclusiveness,” he said.
He said the former President would have the opportunity to interact with the governors and share his rich experience with them.
Former President Kufuor recounted how as the AU Chairman, duty called on him to see to the resolution of the Kenyan electoral dispute.
He said he put in place a Panel of Eminent African Personalities, which included Mr Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Benjamin Mkapa, former President of Tanazania, and Graca Michel of Mozambique to resolve the dispute.
He said the group was asked to mediate between the parties, create the conditions for peace, and negotiate a political settlement that would tackle the root causes of conflict.
Former President Kufuor said the result of the works of the AU Eminent Persons, led to the restoration of peace and stability to Kenya.
He said it was a joy that the 47 governors had agreed for him to be the Guest of Honour at their summit.
He said Kenya is a strategic country not only in East and Central Africa, but on the African continent at large, and even globally.
“We should be proud to identify ourselves with Kenya rising again,” the former President stated.
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Source: GNA