Page 58 - The Presidency may 2020

The President’s Digest May 2020 Surmounting CV-19 Challenge

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday urged Afri- that resources are finite everywhere and even the rich-
can countries to collaborate more in the fight against est countries today are struggling in the wake of this
the Coronavirus pandemic through information sharing global pandemic. Therefore, I am very encouraged by
and pooling of intervention resources. what we are doing for ourselves on the continent,‖ the
Kenyan leader said.
Speaking during a virtual meeting of the African Union
Bureau of the Assembly with the Chairpersons of the He pointed out that African nations need to move with
Regional Economic Communities (RECs), President speed in mobilizing and deploying resources to sup-
Kenyatta appreciated the support Africa has received port countries in the fight against Covid-19.
from the international community but emphasized the So far, African countries led by South Africa and Egypt
need for the continent to stand together in the fight have pledged 61 million US Dollars for the fight against
against Covid-19 saying unity will ensure better re- the virus on the continent.
sults. The Kenyan Head of State said there was need to en-

―I want to say that we need to be able to work together courage more African nations to contribute to the kitty
and to pool whatever little resources we have and so as to scale up continental interventions.
show that we are also capable of coming together to ―As we continue to fight this pandemic which continues
defeat this virus. to pose an existential threat to many of our countries, I
also believe that there are encouraging signs if we
―I also believe that at the end of the day it is going to continue to stay the course, remain focused, vigilant
take each and everyone of us individually and collec- and more importantly disciplined,‖ he said.
tively to win this war and not necessarily depending
100 percent on our friends from the outside world com- President Kenyatta however expressed concern about
ing to support us,‖ President Kenyatta said. the rise of infections on a daily basis noting that 10
countries in Africa have over a thousand cases with
He said African leaders need to understand that coun- three of them having passed the four thousand mark.
tries the world over are overwhelmed by the pandemic He therefore urged countries to intensify actions aimed
pointing out that even the richest nations are struggling at containing the spread of the respiratory disease in-
to meet demands brought about by Covid-19. cluding increased testing and enhanced surveillance
measures.
―We are facing financial, material and structural con-
straints. However, we must also face up to the reality The President emphasized the need to use Regional

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