Kenyatta spoke during the 50th Anniversary of the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The next 50 years will be a period of renewal, he said, and called for  innovative ways to manage diversity while strengthening infrastructure.

“Our main aim is to promote joint development projects that grow our economies rapidly and deepen integration through projects such as the Lamu Port, South Sudan and Ethiopia Transport corridor that will link the three countries of Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia, as part of the larger infrastructure network on the continent. Undoubtedly, this will become a driver of our regional integration through greater movement of goods, services and people within the region,” he said.

The Horn of Africa includes Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somali as wells as parts or all of Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda.

“The cultural fabric of the Horn of Africa is as diverse as its physical environment, and we have come alive to this reality,” Kenyatta said. “Our politics must be conducted in a manner that not only recognizes those cultural differences but also harnesses them to build strong and responsible state structures and indeed nations that respond effectively to the needs of our peoples.”

Read more at Daily Nation.