Kibaki: It’s no time to jostle for plum posts

Business

By PHILIP MWAKIO

President Kibaki has reiterated that he will not be pushed to name his successor. He wondered why leaders have been traversing the country in early campaigns ahead of the next year’s General Election.

"There are serious issues of economic importance to be tackled instead of jostling for higher positions now,’’ Kibaki said.

He told leaders to remain focused on positive issues which have a direct bearing on the welfare of the masses.

The President also directed Kenyan diplomats abroad to champion for the successful implementation of the proposed Lamu port project.

Kibaki said that the port which encompasses the Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport corridor has immense potential due to its multi- faceted nature.

trade promotion

"Under the new Constitution, functions such as international trade have been placed side by side with the foreign policy function. This means you will have to give more prominence to foreign trade promotion,’’Kibaki said.

The Head of State was speaking when he officiated at the opening of the 16th biennial conference of Ambassadors and High Commissioners at the Leisure Lodge Resort, Diani , Kwale county Monday.

This year’s conference will be focusing primarily on the Constitution and its impact on Kenya’s foreign policy under the theme ‘Projecting Kenya’s Foreign Policy under the new Constitutional dispensation’.

He told the Kenyan diplomats present and senior officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that one of the key pillars of foreign policy is economic diplomacy.

" I call upon you all to give particular attention to this pillar as it is through promoting our economic interests in the international arena, that we shall achieve the economic goals outlined in our Vision 2030,’’ the President said.

President Kibaki emphasised on the need to advance Kenya’s economic relations through the involvement of Public-Private Partnerships to tackle challenges, which Kenya as a country continued to face.

" Increasingly, Public-Private Partnerships are viewed as the appropriate models for strengthening collaboration between the government and its citizens,’’ he noted.

He told the diplomats to enlighten Kenyans on the latest developments and urge them to contribute to nation building through increased investments and other financial remittances.

On regional peace and stability, the Head of State noted with concern that despite significant progress made in respect to the Sudan, there still existed challenges in the search for durable peace and stability in Somalia.

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