President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated and endorsed Jim Yong Kim to serve a second term as President of the World Bank Group.
Uhuru's action was in response to an announcement from the World Bank Group Headquarters in Washington DC that the Bank was inviting member countries to nominate a candidate for the position of the World Bank Group President.
In his endorsement, Uhuru called Kim "a visionary and an extraordinary leader, who is deeply committed to reduce extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity across the globe by the Year 2030. He is very passionate about development and has given special attention to Africa's development needs since he became President of the World Bank Group".
The
President further said "in a short period of time, Kim has made a huge contribution to reduce poverty and has given hope to millions of people around the globe living below the poverty line. This is a significant achievement, which, as policy makers on the continent, we must all recognise and appreciate. The result speaks for itself. Under his leadership the International Development Association as, an institution which finances development projects for Low Income Countries (LICs), has grown from strength to strength. We can all look forward to greater success for humanity under his able leadership".
The US government also officially recommended Kim, 56, the incumbent World Bank president who has expressed his intention to seek renewal of his term, as a candidate for the next chief of the international body.