President William Ruto has said former President Uhuru Kenyatta will continue to spearhead peace initiatives within the East African Community region.
During his inauguration at Kasarani Stadium today, President Ruto announced that he had engaged his former boss who agreed to continue with the mantle of championing for the peace initiative in the region.
“I have asked my elder brother, President Uhuru Kenyatta who has done commendable engagements with those regions and he has graciously agreed to continue chairing those discussions on behalf of the people of Kenya,” President Ruto said.
President Ruto committed that his government will continue to support peace initiatives in the EAC region and especially in Ethiopia and within the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
“I have committed that the government of Kenya will support those initiatives that will be chaired by President Kenyatta and I want to thank you Excellency for graciously agreeing to support us and help me in those interventions,” President Ruto said.
Former President Kenyatta nodded in the affirmative when his former deputy gave him the new task as an indication that he is ready to continue with his new role after officially exiting State House as President.
Regional Peace
President Ruto assured his counterpart in EAC that he will enhance his collaboration with them and offer full support in all the initiatives that promote peace and integration within and even beyond the region.
“To our partners in the region, In Kenya, you have a reliable partner and we look forward to building on the success of the leaders who came ahead of us,” President Ruto said.
Despite the new role, the outgoing President still remains the chairman of the Azimio Council and is also still the Jubilee Party leader.
It is still not clear whether he abandons these local political roles and concentrates on his regional assignments which projects him as a respectable statesman.
The recognition of the important role of Mr Kenyatta by President Ruto now means that the former Head of State will continue with his mandate of facilitating peace talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In July this year, President Kenyatta was appointed by the East African Community as a facilitator of peace talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 22nd Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of state in Arusha, Tanzania.
President Kenyatta later hosted the EAC Head of States to discuss the deteriorating security in eastern DR Congo and harped on the actualization of the East African Standby Force, and deployment to DR Congo.
He also committed to the pacification of eastern DR Congo by sending 200 Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers to neutralise militias causing havoc on civilians and threatening the presence of the UN peacekeepers.
Ceasefire
During the meeting at State House, Nairobi, the leaders directed that an immediate ceasefire be enforced and cessation of hostilities commence immediately in order to allow the Congolese citizens to feel safe and secure and be able to pick up and continue their respective social, cultural and economic activities.
President Kenyatta and Joao Lourenço who is the Chairperson of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) have since then been working to broker peace after the resurgence of the M23 rebellion, in the last few months, caused friction between Rwanda and its neighbour, DR Congo.
The pursuit of a regional initiative to get peace in DRC Congo was an outcome of the first and second EAC Heads of State conclaves on the peace and security situation in the country under the chairmanship of President Kenyatta at State House Nairobi.