UHURU EXPLAINS HIS FRIDAY REUNION WITH RUTO

In an unexpected appearance at State House Nairobi on Friday, August 1, 2025, former President Uhuru Kenyatta joined President William Ruto and other regional leaders for a high-level summit focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) peace efforts.

According to a statement from Uhuru’s office, the former Head of State was in attendance for a joint summit convened by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The meeting was co-chaired by President Ruto—who currently chairs the EAC—Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, chair of SADC, and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The summit’s key agenda was to brief a newly formed joint facilitation panel on its mission: steering a harmonized peace process for eastern DRC. The gathering marked a milestone in aligning the Nairobi and Luanda peace initiatives under one united framework, operating in tandem with the African Union’s objectives to foster continental peace and stability.

“This collaborative framework was borne from consensus among EAC and SADC Heads of State, who recognized the urgent need for a unified approach to resolve the protracted instability in eastern Congo,” the statement from Uhuru's office read.

The five-member facilitation panel comprises former African leaders entrusted with guiding political negotiations. Alongside Kenyatta, the panel includes former Central African Republic President Catherine Samba-Panza, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi, and Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who joined the summit virtually.

Their joint mandate is to oversee the implementation of a strategic roadmap aimed at promoting dialogue, building trust among stakeholders, and supporting long-term peace in the conflict-ridden region.

As the designated facilitator of the EAC-led Nairobi Process since his appointment in February, Kenyatta’s participation in the summit underscored his active role in the DRC peace initiative. His selection, along with other former heads of state, was ratified during a March summit that gave the panel authority to spearhead diplomatic and political interventions.

Friday’s closed-door discussions also drew high-profile dignitaries and actors involved in stabilizing the DRC. The engagement reflects growing political will across Africa to take ownership of peacebuilding in conflict zones, especially through homegrown leadership and collaboration between regional blocs.