Let's take stock of Africa's progress at African Peer Review Mechanism Summit

Next week Kenya achieves an important milestone in its growing role as a continental leader. After a fairly moribund season under the leadership of Liberia's Ellen Johnston Sirleaf, the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM will hold its Extraordinary Heads of States Summit in Nairobi.

The APRM is a uniquely African mechanism through which African governments, in recognition of the link between socio-economic development and democracy, governance and human rights, agreed to self-assess and submit to review by their peers on these parameters.

There is no doubt that between the time Thabo Mbeki and other African Renaissancists set up the APRM in 2003 and today, the experience of the continent of these key indicators has seen an unfortunate see saw. While countries like Kenya have made significant changes in their legal and institutional infrastructure, including passing progressive constitutions, much of the continent seems stuck in a rut on these key areas. The most recent visible challenge to political stability is the growing epidemic of presidential term extensions, including in Rwanda and Burundi which have joined Harare's Bob Mugabe and Uganda's Museveni.

Whereas there is ongoing philosophical and political contestation of the efficacy of limited terms, there is no doubt that in many countries the extension of term is being driven by survival politics and is leading to political instability. There has also been an increasing breach of human rights in many parts of the continent. Even in Kenya, despite our progressive Constitution, there are credible reports of enforced disappearances and police abuse.

The hordes of immigrants crossing the dangerous Mediterranean from an unstable Libya and autocratic Eritrea must worry African leaders. There are old and fresh wars in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and parts of West Africa. The Al-Shabaab menace in Somalia continues to destabilise the new government in Mogadishu. African countries still share the lowest ranks on the anti-corruption perception index. The continent is still struggling with feeding itself and the ravages of diseases easily preventable still stunt the growth of the African child. All these challenges are occurring when the continent appears set for economic renewal, registering double the economic growth rates of most of Europe and America.

This is a critical moment for the continent's leadership to sit and reflect on how this economic transformation will benefit the widest spread of its populations even as it reduces these crippling challenges in governance. Because the APRM is a "solutions by Africans for Africans" it stands a better chance of providing sustainable solutions to these challenges than any solutions imposed from western capitals.

At his election as APRM forum Chair President Uhuru Kenyatta looked determined to revitalise the APRM into a strong and effective institution. We wish him the best. He has a tough task in convincing his colleagues to take the APRM mechanism seriously. The first indicator will be if they pay up their annual contributions to its budget. One the challenges that ails pan African institutions is the failure to fund it from the continent, leaving Western nations, and increasingly China to provide the resources to sustain these institutions. That has been true of the Africa Union and even the much-fronted African Court on Human and People's rights, our so-called local ICC. This is unacceptable.

The other challenge will be to ensure that not only do more nations submit to the review process but that they then implement the recommendations of the review panels. So far the APRM has reviewed 17 nations, including Kenya. One rarely sees any urgency in implementing the recommendations.

The Summit must establish a more effective monitoring and reporting system that holds nations to their commitments. This summit also marks another important first for Kenya. Other than the occasional visits to attend celebrations, Kenya has never hosted African presidents to a Summit. The Summit, coming soon after Obama's visit and the impending visit by the Pope, will cement the position that Kenya is safe, secure and capable of playing host to any international event.

For a few days again, the eyes of the Africa will be on Kenya. We must put our best foot forward and ensure it's a Summit that affirms that position. Karibuni Kenya.

The writer is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya