Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has made his first public appearance since he retired.
Uhuru on Friday met President of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference Alok Sharma
The meeting centred around the urgent need for countries to implement COP26 adaptation finance commitments.
This is his first public engagement since he handed over power to President William Ruto on September 13.
Ruto asked Uhuru to be steering peace initiatives in the African region moments after he was sworn in.
On Thursday, however, Uhuru stated that he will not attend AU peace talks on Ethiopia which were to be held in South Africa.
In a letter to the chairman of the African Union Mousa Faki Mahamat, the former president cited a clash in his schedule as the reason for not being in a position to attend.
“I wish to notify your good office that I will not be able to attend the AU-Convened Peace Talks scheduled for October 8, 2022, in South Africa owing to conflicts in my schedule,” he said in the letter dated October 6.
The former president, however, expressed commitment to being a party to such a meeting in future if informed prior.
The former President was expected to lead the talks alongside former Nigerian president Olesegun Obasanjo and former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Uhuru issued demands on the structure and modalities of such talks before confirming his participation.
“However, in the interim and as you consider the possibility for another date for the peace talks, I would be grateful to receive further clarity on the structure and modalities of the talks, including but not limited to the rules of engagement for all the interlocutors invited. This clarification would greatly help in preparations for my engagement and participation.”
He added:
“Furthermore, as we discuss the agenda for the talks, it is my hope that among the most urgent issues high on that agenda will be the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities,” he stated.
“This silencing of the guns is particularly important in order to avail the right conditions for the consultations and negotiations while alleviating human suffering and allowing for continued access to humanitarian assistance.”
The peace talks aimed at ending the two-year conflict between Ethiopia's government and the rival Tigray forces.