SPEECH BY UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H., PRESIDENT OFFICIAL OPENINGOF THE 16TH EAST AFRICA POLICE CHIEFS CO-OPERATIONORGANIZATION (EAPCCO) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AT WHITESANDSHOTEL, MOMBASA, 27TH AUGUST, 2014

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Government and the people of Kenya, it is my pleasure toextend the warmest of welcomes to you all. We are delighted you are here;and we trust that you will spare some time during your stay to enjoy thepleasures of our country, especially along the coast. Karibuni!

Let me also applaud the members of EAPCCO for their choice of Kenya as hostfor your 16th Annual General Meeting.

For my part I must admit that it is a pleasure to speak both to the delegatesand to East Africans and their friends, wherever they may be. We meet asfriends in a common cause; our gathering reemphasises the region's and theworld's resolve to meet the grave security challenges facing ourneighbourhood.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must admit a hard truth to ourselves: Africa has fallen well short of itspotential. The results are particularly clear when we consider our efforts tofight crime: in none of our countries do our people enjoy the security they bothneed and deserve. But victory in the war against crime and graft is within ourreach, if only we can muster the self-belief.

And that victory is urgently needed, for in the last five years our region hasseen a rise in crime – in terrorism, in drug trafficking, in money laundering andin crimes against the environment. Nor should we forget the recent upsurge inillicit trade in wildlife products, especially ivory and rhino horns. Our region hasbeen identified as a major and growing centre for this callous commerce –between January and October 2013 alone, over ten tonnes of ivory wereintercepted in Mombasa.

These developments directly threaten the livelihoods of communities thatbenefit directly and indirectly from wildlife.

They harm the region’s reputation, standing and trade with the world. Mostseriously, they also threaten our collective security, for there is reasonableevidence that the proceeds of this illicit trade feed into terrorism.

The prospect should worry us more than it does. International terrorismthreatens our societies: in choosing violence over dialogue, terrorists reject thebasic premise of any democratic nation; in choosing spectacular, murderousviolence, terrorists reject the respect for life shared by African societies acrossthe continent.

Terrorism is utterly incompatible with the values and aspirations of an Africaresolved to make the most of its opportunities.

The threat, as we have so painfully learned in recent years, is not confined toany one country or region. Terrorists will certainly harm any of us who do notshare their dark view of the world. We have a common interest, then, inworking together to defeat them.

Our people demand nothing less than an end to this evil, and the lessspectacular crimes that hinder our continent’s advance. That end will notcome at once – the fight against insecurity is a process, not an event. But it isa fight we must win. Already, the signs are very encouraging: our standingcooperation in our common life and in our trade; our common interest in goodgovernance, in security and in education – all these stand us in strengthen usfor the fight we must wage.

For its part, Kenya has long been aware of the need to work together with itsneighbours.

Like you, we know that our peace and prosperity is as much our neighbour’s asit is ours. That is why we have joined with friends and partners in AMISOM tobring peace to Somalia, and to shut out those who would do all of us harm.And that is why I now urge you to consider harmonising the laws andregulations of our region as closely as is consistent with our histories andcircumstances. It is also in our best interest to tighten our collaboration inintelligence gathering, and in the execution of the programmes that we agreetogether.

Of course, the details will have to be worked out carefully. But the fact is thatour unity and solidarity are our sharpest weapons in this fight.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Cooperation in the region is called for. But it is also true that attention to ourregion's relations with friends and partners further afield is not idle. Othernations have faced and defeated the same enemies that now trouble us. Wewould do well to learn from their experience, to respect their advice, and toaccept their help.

That is why, Mr Chairman, it is my pleasure to pay tribute to the organisationwhose delegates we welcome here, and to recognise the Interpol who havejoined us here today. Their presence reaffirm the strong ties that we who fightcrime in this region share with our friends outside it. And the existence andgrowing strength of your organisation are a herald of the unity that we seek inthe face of those who would harm our people.

In recognition of your sterling work, we pledge to do everything we can toassist EAPCCO, and to support its regional operations. Kenya will support theinstitutional reforms necessary to make the organisation even more effective;and we will do all we can to secure the most modern equipment and trainingfor those charged with protecting our common life.

From those to whom much has been given, much will be expected. The newresources and support we pledge will be followed by closer scrutiny.

You will be asked to raise your standards of work. You will be asked to be moreprudent, more accountable, and more effective. I have no doubt that you willpass these tests.

It remains only to wish you fruitful deliberations, and to express my hope thatthey will be taken further – I trust that your discussions here will be shared withthe rest of the continent at the AU’s peace and security forum.

And now, with these remarks, I am pleased to declare the 16th EAPCCO AnnualGeneral Meeting officially opened.

Thank you, and God bless you.