Kenyan Senate Delegation Explores Cooperation Prospects in Dakhla-Oued Eddahab

A delegation from the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee in the Kenyan Senate paid a working visit to Dakhla this week to strengthen cooperation ties between Morocco and Kenya.

Led by the Committee’s chairman Godfrey Osotsi,the visit provided an opportunity for the Kenyan parliamentary delegation to learn about the region’s development dynamics and the structural projects currently underway,while exploring opportunities for cooperation and partnership with local institutional and economic actors.

In a statement to the press,Osotsi said that the visit was “part of efforts to bolster cooperation between the two countries,” noting that some Kenyan regions have already signed twinning agreements with the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region.

Osotsi also reiterated his country’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan to resolve the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara,noting that this clear position was reaffirmed during this visit to Dakhla.

While in Dakhla,members of the Kenyan parliamentary delegation held a meeting with elected officials from the region and made field visits to several major projects,including the construction site of the new Port of Dakhla Atlantique,which is set to reinforce the region’s position as a leading economic and logistics hub.

The Kenyan parliamentary delegation which is visiting Morocco September 1 through 7 also held talks in Rabat with the First President of the Court of Accounts,Mrs. Zineb El Adaoui.

During this meeting,the Kenyan delegation pointed out that Morocco’s approach to financial oversight stands out as a model to emulate,expressing hope to benefit from the Kingdom’s experience in ensuring the Court’s independence and securing its funding to strengthen impartiality. The lawmakers also intended to learn about the mechanisms for monitoring and implementing recommendations from audit reports.

In this regard,Godfrey Osotsi,emphasized that this meeting is an opportunity to understand how the Court of Accounts operates,particularly in terms of its funding,guaranteeing its impartiality.

Osotsi also noted that Kenya has a significant legal framework in the areas of financial management,auditing,and public procurement,constituting an integrated legislative system,but highlighted that the main challenge lies in the effective implementation of recommendations and reports issued by oversight bodies.

For her part,Mrs. El Adaoui stressed that the Court of Accounts,one of Morocco’s key constitutional institutions,is the supreme body for public financial oversight. She added that the control exercised by the Court encompasses institutional oversight according to rigorous professional standards.

She emphasized that the independence of this institution,beyond its critical importance,is not limited to legal texts,budget,or available human resources,but also includes its role in serving the public interest and tangibly achieving the objectives of its oversight missions.