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