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Photos that emerged on social media today showing Former President Uhuru Kenyatta alongside his successor, President William Ruto, at State House, Nairobi, have captured public attention.
The meeting, however, was not a matter of domestic politics but a critical diplomatic summit aimed at forging a path to peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Former President Kenyatta was at State House in his official capacity as a facilitator of the EAC-led Nairobi Process on the Peace and Security Situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Former President Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, alongside his successor, President William Ruto, at State House, Nairobi
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He joined President Ruto and other regional leaders for a Joint East African Community (EAC)–Southern African Development Community (SADC) Co-Chairs’ Meeting with the Panel of Facilitators for the DRC Peace Process.
The high-level gathering is a concerted push to harmonise peace efforts and bring stability to the volatile eastern DRC.
The meeting is co-chaired by President William Ruto, in his role as the current EAC Chairperson, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, who chairs the SADC.
READ ALSO: DRC conflict history: Why KDF left & Kenya’s role in Africa’s longest dispute
President William Ruto, the current EAC Chairperson, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, who chairs the SADC.
According to a statement from Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nairobi meeting aims to align efforts between EAC and SADC-led initiatives, reinforce regional coordination, and accelerate progress towards a peaceful resolution in eastern DRC.
The significance of the summit is highlighted by the high-profile leaders in attendance.
Several heads of state and senior diplomats arrived in Nairobi ahead of the meeting, including:
Mokgweetsi Masisi, former President of Botswana
Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of Ethiopia
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC)
Former President Kenyatta's presence is central to the proceedings. As an appointed facilitator, he is responsible for steering the mediation efforts under the "Nairobi Process," an EAC-led initiative to resolve the conflict.
His role involves engaging with all parties to the conflict and coordinating the political track of the peace process. Today's meeting serves as a crucial briefing session where Kenyatta and other facilitators can update the EAC and SADC leadership on progress and challenges.
Former President Former President Uhuru Kenyatta alongside his successor, President William Ruto, at State House, Nairobi
The African Union has also thrown its full weight behind this harmonised approach. The AUC Chairperson, H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, met with Togo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Prof. Robert Dussey, ahead of the main summit.
Prof. Dussey briefed him on a separate high-level meeting convened in Lomé in May by President Faure Gnassingbé, which also focused on enhancing coordination among African-led mediation efforts.
An AU statement reaffirmed its commitment to a "harmonised, inclusive, & regionally anchored approach to resolving the situation."
Therefore, the images from State House today depict not a political reunion, but a convergence of regional powers for a common purpose.
It showcases a continent-led effort to solve one of its most persistent conflicts, with Former President Kenyatta playing a pivotal, ongoing role in the quest for peace.