President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in the Moroccan city of Marrakech on Tuesday to attend a global climate conference and to lobby for Kenya’s candidature as Chairperson to the African Union Commission.
Uhuru's plane touched down at Menar International Airport in Marrakech at 2.30pm Moroccan time (5.30pm Kenyan time).
Uhuru was received by senior Moroccan Government officials.
Heis due to address the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known by its acronym as COP22, to discuss the coming into force of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
This Agreement is the beginning of renewed, transparent, enhanced globally ambitious action and support to address the challenges of climate change.
It also ensures the achievement of the long term goal of stabilising the global temperature increase to below 1.5 degree celsius above the pre-industrial level.
Uhuru will tell COP22 that the set target gives hope to the most vulnerable countries and communities including in Africa and the Pacific.
“We appreciate the Agreement’s linkages to sustainable development goals that include ending extreme poverty, fighting inequality and injustices, and taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impact,” the President will tell COP22.
Uhuru believes that the development of the rulebook to guide the implementation of the Agreement should continue to take on board the key elements including equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.
The President will also take the opportunity to meet African leaders on the sidelines of the Climate conference to lobby for Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohammed to be elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
The offer of a candidate to lead the AU structures is part of President Kenyatta’s commitment to ensuring that African institutions have robust leadership that deliver on the continent’s agenda, including the ambitious Agenda 2063.
Kenya is robustly seeking an African consensus on the candidature of Amina and that is why the President is reaching out to all the continent’s leaders.
More than 100 global leaders are attending the conference including a large contingent of African Heads of State and Government.