At least 12 African heads of state and government are expected in the country on Sunday, July 16, 2023, for the 5th mid-year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, Regional Communities and Regional Mechanisms.



Most of the leaders arrived in the country on Saturday evening and were received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by members of President William Ruto's Cabinet led by Defence CS Aden Duale.
Some of the heads of state who arrived in the county last evening include Azali Assoumani (Comoros), Ali Bongo (Gabon), Abdel Fattah (Egypt), Macky Sall (Senegal), Ismail Oguelleh (Djibouti) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Nigeria).

Others expected at the high-level meeting are Presidents of Botswana, Senegal, Chad, Burundi (also the Chairperson of the East African Community), Algeria and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The theme for this year’s conference is Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation.

The meeting seeks to consider and approve the AU financial budget for 2024, assess the implementation of AU decisions and also adopt new decisions on substantive issues of continental interest including trade negotiations.
President Ruto termed the meeting a crucial platform for advancing Africa's shared vision of building a more prosperous and democratic continent.