President William Ruto has travelled out of the country to attend an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) meeting and the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
State House Spokes Hussein Mohammed said Ruto flied out to attend the two important meetings both hosted in Kampala, Uganda.
He explained that the IGAD meeting on regional cooperation and development is in line with Kenya’s commitment to stability and progress in the Eastern African region.
“On Friday, President Ruto will attend the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. The summit will address crucial global issues, including multilateralism, international peace and post-Covid 19 recovery strategies.,” read the statement in parts.
President Ruto will contribute to discussions on key priorities such as reform of the United Nations, peace and security, Sustainable Development Goals, climate change and the reform of the international financial system.
He will also hold bilateral meetings with various Heads of State and leaders aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties and underscoring Kenya’s role in regional and global affairs.
The Summit under the themed ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence’ will provide a unique opportunity for Member States to take stock of major global affairs.
Ruto Joins Mudavadi
Ruto will join Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi who is also attending the NAM Summit that started on Monday, January 15 and will run up to January 20.
NAM summit is held every few years usually in a different continent.
It is a forum that is not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
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The organization consists of 120 member states, including the non-UN member state of Palestine, as well as 17 other observer countries and 10 observer organizations.
This makes it the largest grouping of states worldwide after the United Nations.
Azerbaijan hosted the 2023 meeting in Baku, with the theme, Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world.
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About IGAD
IGAD is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa founded in 1996.
The creation of IGAD superseded the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) which was founded in 1986.
It includes governments from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan Kenya and Uganda
The headquarter is in Djibouti.
