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Kenyatta calls for expanded efforts to improve governance in Africa

Xinhua, January 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta underlined the need to expand African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to share best experiences among African states and to improve governance on the continent.

Kenyatta, who is Chairperson of the Heads of States APRM Forum, was speaking to the press later Friday at the conclusion of the APRM summit at the AU Headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Established in 2003 by some African states, APRM is a self-monitoring mechanism and a mutually agreed programme which so far has 35 member states.

The aim of the mechamism is to foster high standards of governance by sharing best experiences and practices among African countries.

"We are committed to working together, to getting other AU members to join this mechanism, an African mechanism developed by Africans and driven by Africans. This is something we think we are very keen to see ourselves expand so that all AU members are ultimately going to be part and parcel of this mechanism," noted the president, adding that the APRM plays an important role in boosting economic growth of the continent.

Kenyatta reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that alternative mechanisms are put in place for the APRM to maintain its independence while calling on the APRM member states to mobilize resources and bring forth transparency in the review of African governance systems.

He stated that APRM's mandate is to ensure that the policies and practices of member states adhere to the agreed values in areas of democracy and political governance, economic governance, corporate governance and socio-economic development.

"This is a mechanism developed by Africans, it is not an imposed mechanism; it is a home-grown initiative that seeks to improve how we go about issues, especially related to governance of the African continent not being driven by people outside the continent but by ourselves," he said.

Kenyatta called on AU member states to take full advantage of the APRM mechanism as it is an institution that will provide an independent review on the progress of African governance towards the realization of Agenda 2063. Enditem