Friday, April 9, 2021 – It seems President Uhuru Kenyatta is also feeling the pinch of the many debts he has accrued since taking over as president from Mwai Kibaki in 2013.
Speaking during a meeting with member countries of the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) yesterday, Uhuru called for debt forgiveness as a means to cushion countries that are severely affected financially.
Uhuru, who is the President-in-Office of the Summit of OACPS Heads of State and Government, argued that there was a need for a multi-pronged approach to mobilize for resources and welcomed the various debt relief mechanisms.
“We welcome debt relief measures, which have created the needed fiscal space to reduce the negative effects of the pandemic.”
“However, we seek a continuation of the debt suspension initiative; and debt cancellation, for the most severely affected countries.”
“The prolonged pandemic requires continuous mitigation measures,” he conveyed.
He further called for more trade and investment deals among member countries stating that the over one billion people that make up the 79-member multilateral body provided a huge potential for intra-OACPS trade and investments.
In his statement, Kenyatta also outlined his vision for the multilateral institution saying he envisioned a transitory OACPS that was united and progressive.
Uhuru has in the past called for debt cancellation. In July 2020, he urged for the cancellation of debts owed by African countries in the development of a joint European Union and Africa Covid-19 response strategy.
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