President Kenyatta challenged ACP to seek AU observer status so that they can have a platform to engage African Heads of States on policy making/CFM NEWS
MOMBASA, Kenya, Aug 8 – The African Confederation of Principals has said it will resolve to seek Observers’ Status at the African Union.
This comes a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta promised the over 1,200 ACP delegates meeting in Mombasa for their 10th conference that he will personally support their bid to join the AU.
President Kenyatta challenged ACP to seek AU observer status so that they can have a platform to engage African Heads of States on policy making.
“I promise, if you do that, I will also use my position to lobby my colleagues to ensure that all African countries are associated with this confederation and thereafter create a platform in which you can you can engage the leaders of the African states,” said President Kenyatta.
On Wednesday, ACP Vice President, Indimuli Kahi, who is also the chairperson of the Kenya Secondary School Headteachers Association (KESSHA) said they have decided to take up President Kenyatta’s challenge.
He said that they will be working with the Ministry of Education to make sure they achieve this goal.
“We will be resolving in this conference as ACP to apply for observer status at the African Union. Once that has been done, we will liaise with the Ministry of Education through Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed to start the process of registration,” said Kahi.
According to Kahi, who is also the incoming ACP President, taking over from the South African Thembekile Ndlovu whose tenure is coming to an end, they will use President Kenyatta’s support to push this agenda.
“Kenya will be spearheading the process on behalf of ACP, because ACP on its own cannot, it must go though a given process and a member country. President Uhuru has assured as of his support and we shall use Kenya as platform to get that status,” he said.
He spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing ACP 10th conference at Pride Inn Hotel in Mombasa.
Kahi said once they get that Observers’ Status at AU, they will be able to lobby other African nations to join ACP.
So far, ACP has a 12-country membership.
“We need to have the remaining 40 African countries on board so that they can have a single voice as teachers. Because without a voice, you cannot inform policies, if teachers do not have a voice, if principals do not have a voice, then they cannot inform policies in areas that they know best,” he said.
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