Kenya: Ban welcomes promulgation of new constitution

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated Kenyans and their leaders on the occasion of the promulgation of the country’s new constitution, which was backed by a large majority of citizens in a referendum earlier this month.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, represented the Secretary-General at the historic promulgation of the new constitution in a ceremony today in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

Mr. Ban said that Kenyans and their leaders had shown vision and statesmanship, adding that the new charter had opened a hopeful fresh chapter in the country’s democratic governance.

Mr. Pascoe will then proceed from Nairobi to Cairo, Egypt, for a meeting of Special Envoys, Representatives and other officials involved in African peacemaking, as part of events marking the African Union’s Year of Peace celebrations.

He is also due to travel to Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia before returning to Kenya for discussions on peace and security issues in the Horn of Africa, including the situation in Somalia.

His trip to East Africa will conclude in Burundi, where he will have discussions on consolidating the peace process in that country.