Uhuru to be AU culture and arts champion

President Uhuru Kenyatta has accepted an invitation to become a champion of the African Union culture and the arts programme.

He agreed to take up the new role after receiving a special message from Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who was recently elected to lead under the same position in the union.

Uhuru was presented with the invitation message on Friday  at State House, Mombasa.

AU Assembly is tasked with the responsibility of selecting Heads of State and Government as Champions to create awareness about different initiatives at a continental and international level.

The Head of State in his speech underscored the importance of culture and the arts in cultivating unity and promoting continental integration.

He said the rich African culture and the arts could be harnessed as a vehicle to inculcate a positive attitude, instill patriotism as well as create employment for the youth throughout the continent.

 Uhuru also expressed the need to also bring on board all Africans in the diaspora, including people of African descent spread across the globe.

“I am keen on promoting our culture, our rich African culture which is our identity and heritage. You can count on our support on this,” the President said.

He assured the special envoy that Kenya will provide two experts on culture to join the technical team charged with the responsibility of spearheading the implementation of the continent’s cultural agenda.

“It is important to come up with a concrete agenda on culture and the arts that can be implemented and we need to work together to move this agenda forward,” Uhuru said.

He will officially be installed into the new role in Addis Ababa next month.