Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, has commended China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), describing it as a transformative platform for advancing the 2030 Agenda and accelerating sustainable development across the Global South.
Addressing a high-level GDI seminar in Nairobi, Mudavadi stated that the initiative provides developing countries with an inclusive means to identify priority projects and mobilise resources for sectors with the greatest gaps.
“I believe in the objectives and vision of this initiative, in particular, the focus of providing a platform to bring together countries and other partners to share ideas in support of the realization of Agenda 2030, including implementing sustainable and impactful projects in development countries, which are far behind in attainment of sustainable development goals, is highly commendable,” he said in a speech delivered by Amb. Lucy Kuruthu, Deputy Director General for Political and Diplomatic Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Mudavadi underscored the significance of the South-South Cooperation Fund, referring to it as a catalyst for small yet highly impactful community-level projects.
“In Kenya’s case, they touch on sectors such as health, education, water, sanitation, smart agriculture, and value addition, amongst many others,” he noted.
“Most of these projects which have been implemented may be small, but very impactful for the rural and poor communities. The community’s livelihoods have been transformed out of the jobs created and access to potable water and good sanitation,” he added.
He urged UN agencies and development partners to enhance collaboration and increase contributions to the fund.
“I reaffirm Kenya’s support for GDI and its vision of sustained shared growth and mutual benefit. Kenya remains a committed friend of GDI and are ready to continue working together with China and the like-minded in the shared future,” he stated.
In his remarks, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Dr. Stephen Jackson, described the GDI as one of the most critical frameworks assisting countries in navigating the current era of global instability and “poly-crisis.”
“Climate change, food insecurity, geopolitical tensions, pandemics, economic instability, the digital divide, the list goes on, and all of these factors are converging to challenge our collective progress as a planet. These crises know no borders, and they cannot be solved in isolation,” Jackson said
He termed the GDI as a “timely, visionary, and necessary response” to these challenges, emphasizing its close alignment with Agenda 2030. Jackson highlighted that the UN’s latest global assessments show nearly half of all Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets are off-track, with a third regressing, making the GDI’s contribution even more urgent.
“GDI has focus areas that marry very closely to those of Agenda 2030. The first is the eradication, food security, climate action, equitable growth. And secondly, at the heart of the GDI is an emphasis on inclusive and sustainable development. Inclusive and sustainable development,” he elaborated.
He noted that China has already supported over 200 GDI projects in 70 countries, including initiatives in Africa that have benefited hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers and increased rural incomes.
“Kenya hasn’t been forgotten. GDI-anchored cooperation has supported Kenya’s Vision 2030 by enhancing connectivity, industrial development, green transition, and employment opportunities, to name just a few,” he said, adding that “these are not isolated efforts…they reflect a strong commitment by China to South-South cooperation, sharing resources, knowledge, and innovations amongst and between developing nations,”
UNAIDS Deputy Regional Director and Country Representative to Kenya, Ms. Medhin Tsehaiu, praised China’s leadership in promoting global health and South-South cooperation through the GDI and the South-South Cooperation Fund managed by CIDCA.
Medhin highlighted China’s role in strengthening technology transfer, innovation, and financing to help countries achieve universal health coverage and end AIDS by 2030.
“China continues to empower developing countries in their pursuit of universal health coverage and the goal of ending HIV and AIDS by 2030. For this, developing countries, including Kenya, need expanded fiscal space and financial resources to implement national plans and meet their targets,” she noted.
Medhin further commended China for demonstrating strong leadership within the Global South, partnering with the UN to support national efforts in providing universal access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
“We are working closely with our office and the women’s office in China, which collaborates with CIDCA, serving as a global liaison office. Together, through solidarity, expertise, and partnership, we can ensure that no one is left behind,” she explained.
Erastus Mwencha, former Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, stated that the Global Development Initiative (GDI) is a timely and resonant call for a revitalized global partnership that aligns deeply with Africa’s aspirations.
“The GDI principles align with Africa’s priorities, focusing on people, planet, prosperity, and partnership. These are the very pillars upon which Africa seeks to build a future as enshrined in our continental blueprint, Agenda 2063, the Africa we want,” he said.
According to Mwencha, the GDI’s emphasis on connectivity and infrastructure development directly addresses one of Africa’s biggest obstacles to trade and investment. From railways to ports, highways, and energy grids, GDI projects have the potential to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, creating a single integrated market.
“For African nations often constrained by high capital costs, limited fiscal space, and restricted access to development financing, this is a significant enabler. The GDI has successfully placed development back at the centre of the global agenda, reminding the world of the urgency of the Sustainable Development Goals and promoting global cooperation,” he said.
