Azimio La Umoja Leader, Raila Odinga, has been denied entry to the Africa Climate Summit 2023 by President William Ruto’s government.
Odinga had been scheduled to attend the summit in Nairobi, set to commence tomorrow, and featuring the participation of twenty-four heads of state from Africa and beyond.
The reason for Raila’s denial of entry was not immediately clear.
However, sources close to this situation suggested that it might be linked to the political differences currently observed in the country.
“Raila will not attend the event; the government has refused to grant him accreditation due to suspected political conditions in the country.” A source close to the development informed Kenyan Report.
Among the notable figures expected to attend the Africa Climate Summit are the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, the first Education Minister of Mozambique, and co-founder of The Elders, Graca Machel, along with top officials from USAID.
The summit promises to be a gathering of high-level delegations focused on addressing pressing climate issues.
Environment CS Soipan Tuya had earlier said plans to host the leaders have been finalised.
“We are waiting for the world in Nairobi. Over 2,000 delegates from 136 countries are expected,” Ms Tuya said.
The Inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) 2023, hosted in collaboration with Kenya, carries the theme “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World.”
This significant event is organized by the African Union Commission, with the overarching goal of tackling pressing climate challenges and charting a fresh course for sustainable development across the African continent.
It serves as a platform for showcasing progress, sharing perspectives, and aligning priorities for global discussions, including events like the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), G20, World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings, and COP28.
The summit’s objective is to create the African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions, initiate a Call to Action for African Union Member States and supporting partners, and foster partnerships with the rest of the world.
