Written By Mary Mumbua 📝
On Tuesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to officially kick off the ninth Africities conference in Kisumu.
The conference is expected to draw 10,000 participants. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to join Uhuru at the event.
As early as Sunday, dignitaries, including various heads of state, began arriving for the event.
President Omar Hussein Omar of Djibouti and former President of the Republic of Seychelles Danny Faure are among the high-profile leaders who have arrived.
Others include Egyptian governors’ delegations led by Dr. Manal Awad of Damietta, Abdelhamid Elhaggan of Al Qalyoubia, and Ambassador Mohamed Higazy.
Preparations at the Mamboleo Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium were completed on Monday.
Devolution PS Julius Korir stated that preparations were 99.9% complete, with all meeting rooms and exhibition structures in place and the delegation being registered.
“This morning alone we received three Boeing 737 Kenya Airways planes full of delegates and we are ready for everything,” he said.
Security has also been enhanced at the venue and throughout the county.
Kisumu will be the first secondary city to host the summit, following the previous one in Rabat, Morocco.
This year’s summit theme is “The role of African intermediary cities in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063.”
