the space for business and granting easy flow of goods across countries. The focus of Kenyan diplomacy is Africa first, Africa second and Africa third. Since our new government came into place we have been expanding our footprints in Africa opening embassies in new places like Abidjan, Dakar and so on.
Looking at Africa today, are you convinced Africa has made progress over the years? Absolutely! It goes without asking. We have moved from the politics of the independence struggle, of the last century.
From your experiences outside of Africa, what are some areas Africa needs to address, as a matter of urgency, in order to catch up with the rest of the world? There are some things nobody needs to tell us, we have to facilitate the establishment and sustenance of the infrastructure to deliver the basic goods and services that make an economy work. We must fix services like transportation, power, infrastructure, education and health – we cannot have people dying of malaria in the year 2015. We should stop denigrating the role of women, they are a critical part of our society, because you cannot look down on a human being and expect her to contribute to your development. For us to develop, women must be given the opportunity to develop alongside the men, and if we do that there is going to be a big change in our economic fortunes.
34 | PRTIMES AFRICA MARCH 2016