Former President Mwai Kibaki has gotten a new international job courtesy of a United Nations agency.
The retired President was nominated to serve as UNESCO's Special Envoy for Water in Africa, a position he is set to take up from Tuesday afternoon.
The event to formally award Kibaki will take place in Paris, France, where he will be represented by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa.
Accepting the appointment, Mr Kibaki expressed his gratitude for the nomination pledging to do his best in advocating for water and environmental conservation in Africa.
“I humbly assume the role of UNESCO Special Envoy for Water in Africa, an honour more Kenya’s – and indeed Africa’s – than mine as an individual,” he said.
In his new position, he will be charged with the responsibility of advocating for water conservation through rain harvesting and water recycling, as well as protection of water towers which he assured to focus on.
“Undoubtedly, accessibility to water is a powerful trigger of socio-economic progress. Regrettably, many parts of Africa are faced by severe water stress. This obviously spells doom for the quest and prospect of rescuing millions from poverty and disease in many parts of the continent,” Kibaki added.
According to him, the challenges he has been tasked to tackle would be contained by implementing water reservation programmes, through school programmes, to help him succeed in his job.
The UNESCO noted that the appointment of the former President was based on various reforms he made during his time at helm of the country's leadership.
