Nairobi, Kenya - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Friday asserted that the moment to stabilize Somalia has come and called on the international community to take advantage of the opportunity. Kibaki affirmed that there was the need to capitalize on various gains achieved so far through the combined efforts of the Kenya Defence Forces, the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

He appealed to the international community to consider providing more support to frontline nations like Kenya in the stabilization process of the war-ravaged nation, according a news dispatch from the Presidential Press Service.

He spoke at his Harambee House Office, Nairobi, when he met with the visiting British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, who paid him a courtesy call.

He said that there was need to utilize the safe havens so far created in Somalia through the ongoing military intervention so as to provide social amenities such as water, health services and schools to Somali refugees currently hosted in the country.

Kibaki called for urgent action because Kenya was hosting over 600,000 refugees -- a number that has never been witnessed anywhere in the world.

In this regard, Kibaki called for voluntary repatriation of the refugees to pacified areas of the war-ravaged country so as to mitigate other negative trends that are associated with the conflict, particularly piracy, terrorism, general insecurity and destabilization of the Horn of Africa region.

He expressed confidence that the forthcoming conference in London on Piracy would explore and find a long lasting solution to the Somali conflict.

Kibaki hailed the existing long-standing, cordial and warm bilateral relations between Kenya and Britain and appreciated the support extended to Kenya in the ongoing
reforms in the country, especially in its police force.

On his part, the British Foreign Secretary thanked Kenya for the pivotal role the African nation was playing towards the stabilization of Somalia and even hosting the largest-ever known number of refugees.

Hague, who was in Somalia, also briefed Kibaki on the current situation in the country where he met various stakeholders in the conflict resolution process among them the TFG leaders and members of the civil society.

The Foreign Secretary also affirmed Britain’s commitment to the stabilization of the Somali conflict as evidenced by the hosting of an international conference to be attended by about 50 nations to chart the way forward.

Later the Kibaki held discussions with visiting Vice-President of the World Bank, Ms Rachel Kyte.

In their discussions, the two leaders appreciated the good partnership and cordial working relations existing between Kenya and the financial institution.

Kibaki assured Ms Kyte of the Kenyan government’s commitment to undertake various reforms aimed at attaining and sustaining the country’s economic growth rate target of 10 per cent.

He thanked the World Bank for supporting vital sectors of the economy, especially energy and water, that have been identified as drivers of Kenya’s development and realization of the Vision 2030.

The Vice-President noted that the World Bank supported the country’s development agenda, adding that it was important to pursue Kenya’s economic growth vision.

Ms Kyte said that discussions between the Bank and Government were on course to commit US$ 1.5 billion over the next two years in new energy, transport and water sectors.

Pana 04/02/2012