SPEECH BY UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H.

, PRESIDENT OFFICIAL OPENING

OF THE 16TH EAST AFRICA POLICE CHIEFS CO-OPERATION
ORGANIZATION (EAPCCO) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AT WHITESANDS
HOTEL, MOMBASA, 2TH AUGUST, 2!1"
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Government and the people of Kenya, it is my pleasure to
extend the warmest of welcomes to you all. We are delighted you are here
and we trust that you will spare some time during your stay to en!oy the
pleasures of our country, especially along the coast. Karibuni"
Let me also applaud the members of #$%&&O for their choice of Kenya as host
for your '(th $nnual General )eeting.
*or my part + must admit that it is a pleasure to spea, both to the delegates
and to #ast $fricans and their friends, wherever they may be. We meet as
friends in a common cause our gathering reemphasises the region-s and the
world-s resolve to meet the grave security challenges facing our
neighbourhood.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We must admit a hard truth to ourselves. $frica has fallen well short of its
potential. /he results are particularly clear when we consider our e0orts to
1ght crime. in none of our countries do our people en!oy the security they both
need and deserve. 2ut victory in the war against crime and graft is within our
reach, if only we can muster the self3belief.
$nd that victory is urgently needed, for in the last 1ve years our region has
seen a rise in crime 4 in terrorism, in drug tra5c,ing, in money laundering and
in crimes against the environment. 6or should we forget the recent upsurge in
illicit trade in wildlife products, especially ivory and rhino horns. Our region has
been identi1ed as a ma!or and growing centre for this callous commerce 4
between 7anuary and October 89': alone, over ten tonnes of ivory were
intercepted in )ombasa.
/hese developments directly threaten the livelihoods of communities that
bene1t directly and indirectly from wildlife.
/hey harm the region;s reputation, standing and trade with the world. )ost
seriously, they also threaten our collective security, for there is reasonable
evidence that the proceeds of this illicit trade feed into terrorism.
/he prospect should worry us more than it does. +nternational terrorism
threatens our societies. in choosing violence over dialogue, terrorists re!ect the
basic premise of any democratic nation in choosing spectacular, murderous
violence, terrorists re!ect the respect for life shared by $frican societies across
the continent.
/errorism is utterly incompatible with the values and aspirations of an $frica
resolved to ma,e the most of its opportunities.
/he threat, as we have so painfully learned in recent years, is not con1ned to
any one country or region. /errorists will certainly harm any of us who do not
share their dar, view of the world. We have a common interest, then, in
wor,ing together to defeat them.
Our people demand nothing less than an end to this evil, and the less
spectacular crimes that hinder our continent;s advance. /hat end will not
come at once 4 the 1ght against insecurity is a process, not an event. 2ut it is
a 1ght we must win. $lready, the signs are very encouraging. our standing
cooperation in our common life and in our trade our common interest in good
governance, in security and in education 4 all these stand us in strengthen us
for the 1ght we must wage.
*or its part, Kenya has long been aware of the need to wor, together with its
neighbours.
Li,e you, we ,now that our peace and prosperity is as much our neighbour;s as
it is ours. /hat is why we have !oined with friends and partners in $)+<O) to
bring peace to <omalia, and to shut out those who would do all of us harm.
$nd that is why + now urge you to consider harmonising the laws and
regulations of our region as closely as is consistent with our histories and
circumstances. +t is also in our best interest to tighten our collaboration in
intelligence gathering, and in the execution of the programmes that we agree
together.
Of course, the details will have to be wor,ed out carefully. 2ut the fact is that
our unity and solidarity are our sharpest weapons in this 1ght.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
&ooperation in the region is called for. 2ut it is also true that attention to our
region-s relations with friends and partners further a1eld is not idle. Other
nations have faced and defeated the same enemies that now trouble us. We
would do well to learn from their experience, to respect their advice, and to
accept their help.
/hat is why, )r &hairman, it is my pleasure to pay tribute to the organisation
whose delegates we welcome here, and to recognise the +nterpol who have
!oined us here today. /heir presence rea5rm the strong ties that we who 1ght
crime in this region share with our friends outside it. $nd the existence and
growing strength of your organisation are a herald of the unity that we see, in
the face of those who would harm our people.
+n recognition of your sterling wor,, we pledge to do everything we can to
assist #$%&&O, and to support its regional operations. Kenya will support the
institutional reforms necessary to ma,e the organisation even more e0ective
and we will do all we can to secure the most modern e=uipment and training
for those charged with protecting our common life.

*rom those to whom much has been given, much will be expected. /he new
resources and support we pledge will be followed by closer scrutiny.
>ou will be as,ed to raise your standards of wor,. >ou will be as,ed to be more
prudent, more accountable, and more e0ective. + have no doubt that you will
pass these tests.
+t remains only to wish you fruitful deliberations, and to express my hope that
they will be ta,en further 4 + trust that your discussions here will be shared with
the rest of the continent at the $?;s peace and security forum.
$nd now, with these remar,s, + am pleased to declare the '(th #$%&&O $nnual
General )eeting o5cially opened.
/han, you, and God bless you.