Kenya stands with Ghana Says Prez Uhuru Kenyatta
The President of Kenya, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta,on Sunday joined Ghanaians at the Black Star Square to mark Ghana’s 59th independence anniversary, at which he declared his commitment to work with other leaders towards a borderless continent.
Advertisement
He stated that he looked forward to working closely with President John Mahama to realise that vision, saying that Kenya took pride in the fact that visa requirements with Ghana were non-existent, while Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, did daily flights to Accra, a demonstration of his commitment to free movement within the continent.
Delivering an address, Mr Kenyatta described the Independence Day ceremony as a mark of Ghana’s leadership and inspiration for self-determination.
Marked on the theme: “Investing in the Youth for Ghana’s Transformation”, the event also had in attendance the President of Guinea Bissau, Mr José Mário Vaz, the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, and former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor.
Ghana-Kenya shared bond
President Kenyatta said Kenya stood with Ghana as it celebrated its milestone in the shared spirit of Pan-Africanism, adding that the two countries enjoyed cordial relations dating back to the fifth Pan-African Congress of 1945 when its fathers — Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta — met in London.
The Kenyan leader pointed out that the two countries had related well at the bilateral and multilateral levels for the benefit of their people, stressing that the late President Nkrumah had a vision for Pan-Africanism which served as a guide to countries on the continent as it endured the tribulation of liberation struggles in their quest for independence.
Pan-Africanist vision
He said the Pan-Africanist vision shared by the founding fathers of the two nations was steadily being realised in Africa, particularly with the launch of Agenda 2063.
He explained that the launch of the agenda was an indication of the continent’s determination to bring its people closer together to amalgamate their ideas and ensure social integration for a sustained socio-economic and political development.
Other Trending Stories
Business opportunities
He told the gathering that Kenya was open for business and underscored the need for Ghana and Kenya to harmonise their visions with the continent’s vision of a free trade area which had received great support from ECOWAS and the East African community.
Terrorism
On the issue of terrorist attacks in some parts of the continent, President Kenyatta said recent history had shocked the world by way of a series of terrorist attacks, saying that the attacks had become the norm rather than the exception.
To nip that canker in the bud, he stated that the African continent continued to cooperate and heighten its counter-terrorism efforts.
“Let us remind ourselves of the challenges we must confront and those which we must overcome if we are to preserve the gains of our independence and the values of democracy.”