Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has challenged the country’s leadership to uphold ethical conduct.
Mottley, who was a guest during this year’s Jamhuri Day celebration in Nyayo Stadium yesterday, said people in top government positions should demonstrate leadership.
“We do not exist to praise institutions but to make a better life for the people,” she said.
She added that good leadership is badly needed in the two countries as they enter into the third decade of the century.
Mottley thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for his commitment to the partnership between Kenya and Barbados. “You ignited the commitment of working with African people in the diaspora,” she said.
She said the partnership would go a long way in improving the lives of the people. “I am satisfied with the work we have done so far. We can have a better life in each village, in all parts of the country,” she said.
Uhuru visited the Caribbean island nation in August for three days. He landed in the capital Bridgetown and was received by Mottley after his visit to Jamaica.
Issues discussed during the visit included revitalising bilateral relations and developing strategies for common prosperity and cooperation in multilateral issues of mutual concern.
Uhuru also attended the Caribbean heads of government meeting at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, a government-owned conference facility on the outskirts of Bridgetown.
Barbados lies northeast of Venezuela in the North Atlantic Ocean and was colonised by the British who settled on the island in 1627. It attained independence from Britain in 1966.
Deputy President William Ruto said leaders should build bridges “of unity and friendship.”
“We should eliminate hate, negative ethnicity and divisions among ourselves. We need to forge the largest transformation in our history,” he said.
The Deputy President added that he was confident Uhuru’s Big Four agenda would play a critical role in the transformation.
“The Big Four agenda will ensure that every Kenyan has a decent meal. Value addition, manufacturing and the housing programme will see millions of youths get employment,” he added.
The Big Four aqgenda are priority projects of affordable housing, food security, universal healthcare and enhanced manufacturing.