President William Ruto has missed the African Union (AU) 6th Mid-Year coordination meeting being held in Accra Ghana.
Instead, the Head of State is attending a Sunday service at the Africa Gospel Church located in Chebango, Bomet County.
Since the onset of anti-finance bill protests in the country, President William Ruto has not travelled out of the country, a matter that Kenyans spoke against during the protests.
In February 2024, Ruto was endorsed as the new African Union Champion for Institutional reforms, during the AU assembly of African Head of States and Government meeting in Addis Ababa.
Also Read: Kenya Awarded During African Union Summit
Details of the AU Meeting Ruto has Missed
The meeting is themed “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building a resilient Education System for Increased Access to Inclusive Lifelong Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa.”
In a circular released in preparation for the forum, the AU indicated that it would access the progress of continental integration agenda and evaluate efficiency of the harmonization of policies between African Union and regional economic communities.
“The meeting is also crucial in enhancing the implementation of a clear division of labour and effective collaboration between the AU regional economic community’s regional mechanisms and member states to rally on the principle of subsidiarity, complementarity and comparative advantage”
“It is our hope that through this event the republic of Ghana will once again demonstrate its commitment to the acceleration of the integration’s agenda of the continent and also help to promote continental unity”, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong said.
Also Read: Key Roles Ruto Will Play as AU Champion
President Earlier Promises to the AU
Speaking at the African CEO Forum in Kigali on Friday, May 17, Ruto expressed his commitment to reforming the AU to enhance its role in economic negotiations, peace and security, and infrastructure development.
Further, he said that his vision for the AU was to make it a more powerful advocate for the continent on economic issues, a leader in maintaining peace and security, and a key player in modernizing infrastructure.
“We need to reshape the AU so that it does our economic diplomacy,” Ruto asserted, highlighting the need for the AU to transition from its historical role as a liberation movement to a more proactive economic entity.
“I intend to finish the job President Kagame started of reforming the African Union so that it is fit for purpose,” he stated.
Additionally, he explained that reform agenda is built around three key pillars. First, he believes the AU must lead on economic matters, negotiating and advocating for the continent’s interests on the global stage
Second is focusing on peace and security. He emphasized the importance of the AU becoming a stronger instrument in managing conflicts and reducing warfare across the continent.
The third area of focus is infrastructure development.
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