The 9th edition of the Africities Summit scheduled to take place from May 17 to 21, 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya, will comprise 170 sessions, albeit under the patronage of Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya.
The theme chosen for the summit is: “The role of intermediary cities in Africa in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and of the African Union´s Agenda 2063”.
Organised every three years over a five-day period, alternately in the different regions of Africa, the Africities Summit is said to be the largest democratic gathering organised on the African continent. This flagship event of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) organised in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Council of Governors of Kenya (CoG), and the County of Kisumu, will for the very first time be held in an intermediary city.
Distinguished personalities are expected to attend the gathering in Kisumu and take an active part in the main dialogue platform on decentralisation and local governance, which brings together African ministers; as well as mayors, leaders and elected representatives of local authorities; civil society organisations; traditional authorities; representatives of the African Diaspora; actors from the world of economics; experts, researchers and academics; financial institutions, as well as development partners.
President of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Macky Sall, is said to have accepted the invitation of the organising committee to participate in the summit in his capacity as current President of the African Union (AU).
Invitations to participate were also sent to the following personalities: Mr. Mohamadou Issoufou, former President of the Republic of Niger; John F. Kerry, former United States Secretary of State, President’s Special Envoy for Climate; Ms. Amina J. Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; Ms. Maimuna Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat; Ms. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB); Prof. Benedict Oramah, Chairman of Afreximbank; Mr. Samuel Eto’o, President of the Cameroon Football Federation; and Mr. Didier Drogba, former Ivorian international footballer.
“I am delighted to officially announce that the city of Kisumu will host the largest Africities summit ever held in Kenya,” said Kenyatta was quoted as saying on June 01, 2021, in Kisumu.
The Summit has so far reportedly recorded over 3,000 participants already registered to take part in the five days of reflection around the theme of the summit, organised within the framework of thematic sessions, sessions on local policies and strategies, and the political segment of the Summit. Africities 9 also consists of specific days organised on the major topics that mobilise the attention of mayors and leaders of local governments on the continent, namely Climate Day; Diaspora and Afro- descendants Day; Digital Day; Culture Day; Urban Planning Day; Housing Day; Women’s Day; Youth Day; as well as the Africities Trade and Investment Forum.
