{
  "id": 2635455,
  "title": "Uhuru Kenyatta calls for peace at Ethiopia National Dialogue Conference closing ceremony",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/uhuru-kenyatta-calls-for-peace-at-ethiopia-national-dialogue",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-22T19:46:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/news/uhuru-kenyatta-calls-for-peace-at-ethiopia-national-dialogue-conference-closing-ceremony"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has delivered a powerful call for unity and dialogue during the Ethiopian National Dialogue Conference's closing ceremony in Addis Ababa. Emphasizing the importance of recognizing Ethiopia's diverse communities as a national strength, Kenyatta argued that the path to lasting peace lies in communities' willingness to listen and understand one another. He stressed that Ethiopia's diversity is not a source of division but a source of national pride, with no community being peripheral to the nation's story. For Kenyatta, dialogue is a simple yet powerful tool for overcoming differences and building a shared future. He celebrated the breadth of Ethiopia's cultural and historical inheritance, highlighting communities and traditions from various parts of the country such as Oromia, Gambela, and beyond. The Oromo Gadaa system, an indigenous knowledge system, also deserved greater international recognition, according to Kenyatta. By framing Ethiopia’s national story as one \"written by many hands\" rather than a single hand, Kenyatta underscored the idea that unity does not require uniformity. He challenged the common perception of Ethiopia as merely highlands and ancient stone churches, instead presenting the country as a tapestry of rivers, forests, wetlands, pastoral plains, and Nilotic culture. Kenyatta repeatedly stressed the importance of dialogue, mutual understanding, and peaceful coexistence, making it clear that communities must engage with one another to overcome differences. His message ultimately framed Ethiopia’s diversity as an asset that can underpin reconciliation when communities are given the space to listen, understand, and participate in shaping a common future. As the National Dialogue Conference closed, Kenyatta's most memorable message remained one of shared ownership: \"Ethiopia's greatness was never written by one hand; it was written by many hands.\"",
  "summary": "Retired Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for dialogue, inclusion and peaceful coexistence in Ethiopia, delivering a strong appeal for unity during the closing ceremony of the Ethiopian National Dialogue Conference at the Addis International Convention Centre. In an address during the conference’s closing ceremony on Saturday, August 22, 2026, Kenyatta said Ethiopia’s extraordinary…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "People Daily Kenya",
        "title": "Uhuru calls for global recognition of Ethiopia’s indigenous system of governance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/uhuru-calls-for-global-recognition-of-ethiopias-indigenous-system-of",
        "published": "2026-08-22T15:43:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}