Ajabu Africa News

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Preparations at Mamboleo in readiness for the 9th Africities Summit to be held in Kisumu. [Michael Mute, Standard]

By:

Betty NJERU

Posted:

May,17-2022 08:24:29

President Uhuru Kenyatta has officiated the opening ceremony of the ninth Africities summit in Kisumu County today.

Kenyatta, in his speech before the over 4,000 delegates, called for the need to make African cities more sustainable, saying that the continent is becoming increasingly urban.

“This summit comes at a critical time when Africa is facing rapid urbanisation. Intermediary cities in Africa are home to approximately 174 million people representing about 36 per cent of the continent’s population and contribute about 40 per cent of our continent's GDP,” the Head of State averred.

Uhuru added that it was equally important for African cities to unleash their full potential, in line with the implementation of the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063.

Uhuru is presiding over the event being held in Kisumu County, the first intermediary city to host the summit.

The conference, expected to host over 10,000 delegates will run from today, May 17 to May 21, 2022, whose focus today is on climate action.

Reiterating the impact of climate change in our lives, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki said there is need to better define and clarify the role of intermediary cities.

“The growth of intermediary cities implies an increase in wealth, inequalities, need for housing, infrastructure, and urban services, and need for decent jobs,”

The summit held every three years over a five-day period has brought together officials from the United Nations, African Union, United Cities and Local Govts of Africa (UCGL), members of the diplomatic core, and senior government officials including governors and cabinet secretaries.

Kenya hosted the summit again in 2006 under the local governments.

Africities Summit meant to promote role of secondary cities.

The city of Kisumu in Kenya is hosting the 9th edition of the Africities Summit from 17-21 May 2022, under the patronage of President of the Republic of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta. The theme of the summit is “The role of intermediary cities in Africa in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063”.

Organized every three years, alternately in the different regions of Africa, the Africities
Summit is the largest gathering organized on the African continent. This flagship event of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is held in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Council of Governors of Kenya, and the County of Kisumu. For the first time, this event will be held in an intermediary city.

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme responsible for sustainable urban development of cities and human settlements, is one of the institutional partners supporting the 9th Africities Summit.

The summit intendeds to bring together leadership of cities and government to advance decentralisation and local governance. It also aims to address major questions based on the construction of the 2063 Vision of Africa with debate proposed by the African Union Commission.

Executive Director of UN-Habitat Maimunah Mohd Sharif will deliver a keynote speech at the opening of the 9th Africities Summit in Kisumu. She will talk about the importance of implementing the New Urban Agenda in Africa and the need for specific actions as discussed at the High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda at the UN General Assembly on 28 April 2022. Adoption of affordable housing programmes and urban recovery frameworks for post disaster and conflict environments can accelerate development and help governments achieve global targets set by the 2030 Agenda.

In Kisumu, UN-Habitat is organizing an exhibition stand to showcase its impact in Africa as to invite participants to continue discussions at the upcoming Eleventh Session of the World Urban Forum from 26 to 30 June 2022 in Katowice, Poland.

Source:

The Standard