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Nairobi, August 30, 2004

President Mwai Kibaki poses for a photograph with Kenyan Ambassadors accredited to Foreign countries when they called on him at State House, Nairobi.

President talks on Kenya's Foreign policy

President Mwai Kibaki today outlined Kenya's foreign policy saying the country should play a central role in global affairs.

He pointed out that Kenya occupies a pivotal position in the region and should seek to attract development and resources to the country and region through sustained diplomacy.

" We are, therefore, entrusting our foreign missions to articulate our foreign policy well and market the country positively to realize these goals. As a people who represent your country, you must seek ways of attracting investment, resources and visitors into the country, he added.

President Kibaki was speaking at State House, Nairobi today when he addressed Kenya's high commissioners and ambassadors who have been attending their 13th Conference in the country.

President Kibaki said the government had overcome most of the challenges faced on assumption of office eighteen months ago and had now embarked on fulfilling the pre-election development agenda.

Said the President, " We have now overcome most of the challenges we faced on assumption of office when we had to make changes in government and elsewhere to achieve the desired goals."

President Kibaki challenged the envoys to contribute to these development agenda by seeking fresh ideas from their countries of accreditation.

" We welcome fresh ideas from the country's Ambassadors and High Commissioners to incorporate in government policies, otherwise your role in foreign missions will be questionable," he posed.

He noted that since the advent of the new government there has been unprecedented freedom in the country saying that everyone was free to contribute ideas on how the country could achieve faster development.

He said, " I encourage everyone to say anything that is good for the country, there is nothing personal about issues that affect the nation."

The President also touched on the stalled constitutional process saying the process had taken longer than it should have been.

" We hope to quickly complete the constitutional review exercise after achieving a general consensus on the way forward," said the President.

In response to some of the issues raised by the ambassadors, President Kibaki said Kenya had institutionalized the African Union's economic blue print, NEPAD as a way forward to the continent's economic development.

He said the country particularly welcomed NEPAD's peer review mechanism that emphasized on good governance.

On the recently concluded East African Community summit retreat President Kibaki said the leaders had covered good ground towards a political federation.

He said, "The summit has mandated a three man committee to work on the fast track efforts towards a federation of the three states and we expect a report during our summit meeting in November."

The President also touched on the food situation saying the situation was stabilizing after the mobilization of both local and international resources.

President Kibaki also talked of regional conflicts and expressed satisfaction that peace was now dawning in Somalia and that 270 members of a new parliament had been sworn here in Nairobi.

On the Sudan, President Kibaki said a lot had been achieved in the peace efforts in Southern Sudan adding that Kenya would continue to contribute to the development of the country after the full realization of peace in that country.

Present were the Minister for Foreign Affairs Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Assistant Ministers Moses Wetangula and Mirugi Kariuki and the Head of the Public Service Amsassador Francis Muthaura and Foreign Affairs Permanent Secrteray Ambassador Esther Tolle.