President Mwai Kibaki. Photo/FILE
By OLIVER MATHENGE omathenge@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, March 31 2012 at 22:30
Posted Saturday, March 31 2012 at 22:30
State House on Saturday revealed that President Kibaki is more interested in working with African countries and the East compared to the country’s traditional relations with the West.
While dismissing media reports that the President was “unreachable” by European diplomats, a State House statement termed Mr Kibaki’s diplomatic policy as “strategic” and guided by “changing geo-political dynamics”.
Disputing a report that European diplomats are unable to access the President, State House on Saturday afternoon termed the newspaper story as misleading and one that fails to capture the essence of the “Kibaki Presidency diplomatic outlook”.
The report, carried by The People Weekend, quoted French ambassador to Kenya Etienne de Poncins as saying that various diplomats have tried to hold consultations with the President but “it is virtually impossible to access” him.
“The President has been strategic and has not been unreachable to any nation that works for the good of the Kenyan people and appreciates the role played by external partners in endeavours to uplift the lives of Kenyans and citizens of neighbouring states,” State House said in the statement by PPS.
It said that the President’s diplomatic policy has been guided by Kenya’s present view of changing geo-political dynamics which entail an understanding of the West and East convergence on world affairs in an ever-changing environment. The statement said that President Kibaki’s visits abroad have been inspired by changing geo-political and economic realities.
“The President, at the very beginning, declared that his priorities would be East African integration hence his first international state visits were Tanzania and Uganda that today account for over 50 per cent of our global travel. China and Japan have emerged as strategic development partners of Kenya especially in the area of infrastructure development that has been a key pillar of the President’s agenda,” the PPS statement said.
The statement added that results of engagements with the East and African countries “are there for everybody to see”. It also said President Kibaki has, however, not ignored traditional allies.
“He has invited all development partners to be active participants in our transformative process,” the PPS statement said.
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