Kenya urges Africa to devise strategies to unite continent

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday urged African countries to come up with mechanisms that bridge regional gaps to unite the continent.

Speaking in Nairobi when he met with the Foreign Affairs Minister of Equatorial Guinea Agapito Mba Mokuy, Kenyatta proposed the establishment of a continental institute to train leaders from different countries on African leadership to be in a position to advance the cause of Pan-Africanism.

"Kenya is a beneficiary of African unity and would wish to host such a training facility to instill a sense of ownership on Africans to advance the continent's agenda in other forums," he said in a statement issued after the meeting.

Mokuy was in Nairobi to deliver a special message from his President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The Kenyan leader expressed his commitment to the ideals of Pan-Africanism that encourages the solidarity of Africans worldwide and unity which is vital to the continent's economic, social and political progress.

He said the East African nation is willing and ready to work with other countries in the continent to ensure the African Union becomes self-financing in order to be able to drive its agenda.

Kenyatta said it is unfortunate that some non-African financiers of the African Union were using the continent's reliance on external grants to advance their agendas at the detriment of the continent.

"We should not allow non-Africans to take advantage of the continent's inability to sustain itself for their selfish interests," the President said.

He said the youth agenda, if not adequately addressed, may be a future destabilizing factor in the continent. He also challenged the various AU commission organs to push the youth agenda in the continent. Endit