President Uhuru to miss global summit over election deadlock

Kenya has sent a lean team to the UN General Assembly in the US.

President Uhuru Kenyatta will not for the second year attend the annual assembly, which was addressed by US President Donald Trump at the United Nations headquarters in New York yesterday.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed and the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Macharia Kamau, will lead the lean delegation.

President Kenyatta will not attend apparently because of next month's repeat election. Deputy President William Ruto, who attended the meeting last year, will also not attend.

“This is to inform you (Cabinet secretaries) that our participation at the 72th UN General Assembly will comprise of a small team constituted from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by CS Mohammed,” read Chief of Staff Joseph Kinyua’s memo to CSs and copied to their Principal secretaries.

Deals struck

Kenya might lose out on deals struck aon the sidelines of the annual round table talks of global leaders and top-level diplomats.

The impasse on the Presidential election following the nullification of the August 8 polls has complicated issues for the Presidency.

This means that those who were scheduled to accompany Uhuru for the international meeting, especially in actualising the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) touching on line ministries will not attend.

Last year, Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution), Mohammed, Judy Wakhungu (Environment) Sicily Kariuki (Gender), Cleopa Mailu (Health), Philis Kandie ( East African Affairs ) and PS Monica Juma (Foreign Affairs) accompanied Ruto to the meeting.

The Standard has learnt that some officers who were set to travel, have since been notified of the development.

Amina is already in New York. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will present his annual report.