Uhuru signs MoU to start review process on governance

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday began Kenya’s second review process under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the institution’s support mission in the country.

The signing ceremony was held at State House, Nairobi, where the lead panel member for the Kenya support mission Professor Al-Amin Abu-Manga signed on behalf of his team.

APRM is a self-monitoring instrument for monitoring performance in governance whose membership is voluntary. 

The signed MoU regards the obligations of the Kenyan government and APRM continental secretariat on the implementation of the second peer review process.

President Kenyatta is the current chairman of the APRM forum of heads of state and government participating in the process.

The actual review mission will visit Kenya on October 24 and conduct the review process for three weeks, after which it will prepare a report that will be presented to the Government for its comment before it is forwarded to the Heads of State and Government of the APRM Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January, 2017.

REQUIRED SUPPORT

Speaking during the ceremony, President Kenyatta said his government would give the team the required support to fulfil its mandate. He asked the review team to involve all stakeholders as it goes about doing its job so as to get the correct picture of the country’s progress on governance matters.

The president commended the team for their efforts to revitalize the APRM, saying the institution played a crucial role in promoting good governance in the continent.

“This is great institution has enabled Africans to assess their own progress on governance,” he said. “We will give you totally support to boost APRM and uplift it to a level of a model institution that will be emulated across the world,” President Kenyatta said.

The president observed that the APRM process would help the continent achieve its development agenda.

Professor Al-Amin thanked President Kenyatta for playing a key role in revitalizing the African Peer Review Mechanism and for his support to the team.

‘APRM PROCESS’

“We are impressed by the degree of awareness among Kenyans on matters regarding the APRM process – especially among the youth,” he said.

Professor Al-Amin also commended the Kenyan government for its openness and for creating a conducive environment for the growth of democracy and freedom of expression amongst its citizens.

He said his team intended to undertake a comprehensive review process which would serve as a model for others to use as a point of reference.

Mwangi Kiunjuri, the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution, thanked President Kenyatta for his support to the mission, saying Kenya is the first country out of the 35 member states to submit to a second review.

He said the signing of the MoU by the president underscored the Government’s commitment to good governance and its willingness to be scrutinized on agreed upon commitments.

Also present were Prof Michael Chege, the chairman of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) / APRM governing council, Daniel Osiemo, the acting chief executive officer of the Nepad/APRM Kenya secretariat, and other members of the APRM continental secretariat.