Uhuru Kenyatta Urges Ethiopians to Turn Diversity into Strength, Dialogue into Peace

Addis Ababa, August 22, 2026 (ENA) —Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged Ethiopians to sustain the spirit of dialogue, embrace their diversity and translate the outcomes of the National Dialogue into lasting peace and national consensus.

Kenyatta made the call today at the closing ceremony of Ethiopia’s month-long National Dialogue Conference at the Addis Ababa Convention Center.

He described the conclusion of the conference not as the end of the dialogue process, but as the beginning of a broader national journey toward reconciliation, inclusion and peace.

“What you are concluding today is just the beginning of a journey,” Kenyatta said, acknowledging that participants may not have agreed on every issue.

He urged Ethiopians to extend the dialogue beyond those represented at the conference and reach out to those who were not present,

The sustainable peace requires broader inclusion, he stressed.

Kenyatta said Ethiopia’s extraordinary diversity should be viewed as a national strength rather than a source of division.

“I do not see one people, I see many people,” he said.

 

The former president further emphasized that Ethiopia’s identity has been shaped by the histories, cultures, traditions and contributions of its many communities.

He said the country’s peoples are bound together by roads, rivers, commerce, languages, faith, families and shared history, arguing that Ethiopia’s diversity can serve as a foundation for national unity.

Reflecting on the cost of conflict, Kenyatta said the loss of lives, displacement and destruction underline the urgency of sustaining dialogue.

“No political disagreement anywhere on this earth is worth what a season of violence costs,” he said.

Kenyatta stressed that Ethiopia’s peace has consequences well beyond its borders.

“When Ethiopia chooses peace, trade routes open, economy is steady, and our shared borders grow more secure,” he said, adding that Ethiopia’s embrace of dialogue would strengthen confidence across Africa.

He also highlighted the historic relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya, recalling Ethiopia’s influence on his father, Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta, during Africa’s struggle against colonialism.

He said Ethiopia’s green, gold and red flag became a symbol of freedom for his father and many Africans living under colonial rule.

Recalling the peaceful settlement of the Ethiopia-Kenya border, Kenyatta said the two countries demonstrated that African states can resolve sensitive issues through dialogue rather than conflict.

 

“Your peace is not a favor. Your peace is the condition of your own rest, and our peace is a condition for all of us in our region,” he said.

Kenyatta urged Ethiopians to ensure that the national dialogue reaches all parts of society and contributes to ending bloodshed and destruction.

He called for a future built on “dialogue, inclusion, peace, and prosperity,” urging Ethiopians to transform their diversity into a reason to build together rather than stand apart.

“When Ethiopia embraces dialogue, the whole continent gains confidence,” Kenyatta said, warning that Africa cannot achieve shared prosperity while the continent’s heart remains in distress.

He concluded with a call for unity across Ethiopia, saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Kenyatta said Ethiopia’s journey toward peace should inspire Africa, while Africa’s unity should inspire the world.