Kenya

Your Excellency Mr. Kiraitu Murungi, Minister for Energy,
Your Excellency Mr. George Saitoti, Minister for Internal Security and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Ed Njoroge, Managing Director, Kenya Electricity Generating Company,
Mr. Nicholas Mariita, Manager, Olkaria Geothermal Plant,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It has been a fascinating privilege to learn today how Kenya is tapping the volcanic heat of the Great Rift Valley to generate electricity.

Kenya is not rich in oil, natural gas or coal reserves.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,

I know you have just heard from IAEA Director-General Amano on the nuclear problem in Japan, and I will return to that topic at the end of my remarks. But first I would like to talk to you about the latest developments regarding Afghanistan, Cote d'Ivoire and Libya.

I have just received word from our mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, that there has been an attack on our operations centre in Mazar-i-Sharif in the north of the country.

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a great pleasure.

I have opened this new facility. As I said, this is a new chapter, not only for the opening - a new chapter between Kenya and the United Nations - but this is really a new chapter toward a path of a cleaner, greener [inaudible]. The United Nations is taking [the lead] by example. And I sincerely hope that this will give a good example to many countries, many companies, many United Nations agencies to follow, to work together to make a greener world for a better world.

Your Excellency, President [Mwai] Kibaki,
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I thank President Kibaki for joining us. I am also pleased to welcome members of the diplomatic community in Nairobi.

We are here to officially inaugurate this new, wonderful facility. I am so impressed by this building, I wish I could move here full-time!

This building is beautiful, comfortable and efficient. But more than any of that, this building is a living model of our sustainable future.

UNAIDS Executive Director Mr. Michel Sidibé,
Ms. Rebecca Awiti [PERSON LIVING WITH HIV],
Ladies and gentlemen,

Thirty years ago, AIDS was a death sentence.

Today, people are living and striving and thriving with HIV.

Thirty years ago, AIDS challenged us to deal with some of the most sensitive aspects of human behaviour, including reproduction and sexuality. These were difficult issues to speak about, especially for women.

Your Excellency, President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Chairperson of the African Union, Your Excellency, President Mwai Kibaki, President of Kenya, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Heads of State, Honorable Chairman Jean Ping of the African [Union] Commission, Distinguished Representatives from the United States, the European Union and other distinguished ministers and distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to commend the leadership of Presidents Kibaki and Kikwete for calling this important meeting at this critical juncture.