Kenyan leader travels to Britain for conference on Somalia

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday travelled to Britain to attend the 3rd London Conference on Somalia to secure high-level international support for the Horn of Africa nation.

A statement issued after his departure said the conference will focus on accelerating the progress of security reforms in Somalia, build on the international response to the ongoing drought and humanitarian crisis, and agree on the new international partnership needed to keep the Horn of Africa nation on course for increased peace and prosperity.

"Kenya recognizes Somalia security and stability is intertwined with our own. It is imperative to help Somalia achieve stability and that is why the London conference is important," said Kenyatta in an interview on Tuesday evening.

According to State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu, previous conferences of a similar nature were held in 2012 and 2013.

Esipisu said the 2012 London Conference focused on the underlying causes of instability as well as the symptoms which include famine, refugees, piracy and terrorism. At the conference, the international community agreed to inject new momentum into the political process to strengthen AMISOM and help Somalia develop its own security forces to build stability at the local level. Endit