NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 8 - President Mwai Kibaki held talks with the visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Dominique Strauss Khan on Monday.
 
During the discussions, President Kibaki re-affirmed the government commitment to good governance and the fight against corruption, which he said, are key to realising the country’s development goals.
 
President Kibaki reassured Kenyans and the international community that the coalition government will not relent on the fight against corruption.
 
He noted that, with accountability in the government, Kenyans would be assured of prudent utilization of public funds.
 
The Head of State also said he was convinced that the government was building the necessary consensus to deliver to Kenyans the much awaited new constitution this year.
 
The President thanked IMF for providing 200 million US dollars last year to cushion the country’s position on balance of payments in the wake of the global Financial and Economic Crisis.
 
On global warming, President Kibaki lauded the IMF Managing Director for taking up African issues at the G 20 and pledged to mobilize the Heads of State and Government to support the Green Fund Initiative to assist Africa and other developing countries to cope with climate change.
 
The Head of State noted with regret that Kenya was adversely affected by global warming which contributed to inadequate rainfall in the country.
 
“The government is doing everything possible to address emerging environmental issues to mitigate on climate change,” the President said.  
 
The Head of State said that Kenya’s interaction with IMF remained cordial although the last economic programme supported by the Institution under the poverty Reduction and Growth Facility was concluded in November 2007.
 
President Kibaki welcomed the decision by the IMF to retain the office of the Resident Representative in Nairobi. 
 
On his part, the IMF official, who is in Kenya to familiarize himself with the social economic development in the country, expressed his desire to continue pushing for funds to mitigate climate change in Africa.
 
The talks were attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb Francis Muthaura, Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung’u, Finance PS Joseph Kinyua and the Executive Director of African Group one Constituency at the IMF where Kenya is a Member Samuel Itam.