AFRICA – Kenya is set to hand over chairmanship of Shelter Afrique’s AGM Bureau to Cameroon after Hon. Celestine Ketcha Courtes she was elected in 2020.
Kenya’s Transport, Infrastructure and Housing Cabinet Secretary James Macharia who is the current Chairman of Shelter Afrique Annual General Meeting (AGM) Bureau will hand over the mantle to Hon. Courtes who is the Minister of Housing and Urban Development of Cameroon.
He will hand it over at the Company’s 40th AGM and annual housing symposium scheduled to take place between 20th – 26th June 2021 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Hon. Courtes was elected the 1st Vice-Chairperson of the AGM Bureau at the Company’s 39th AGM held in Nairobi. She will be deputised by Zimbabwe’s Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities Hon. Daniel Garwe.
Chairing the General Assembly meeting held virtually from the Shelter Afrique Headquarters in Nairobi, on the 26th of May,2020, Hon. Macharia briefed the Ministers of Cameroon and Zimbabwe on the performance of the Company during his tenure.
He thanked the shareholders, his fellow Ministers present from Cameroon and Zimbabwe, the Shelter Afrique Board Chairman, Dr Steve Mainda EBS, Chief Executive,Mr Andrew Pandeka Chimphondah for their unrelenting support during his tenure.
“The Company turned around and posted a profit of US$1.85 million in 2020 in spite of the challenges of the pandemic,” Hon. Macharia said.
“Shareholder contributions to Shelter Afrique doubled in support of the revived well governed institution. I am certain that the incoming leadership will enjoy similar goodwill from shareholders, the board of directors, management and staff.”
While thanking shareholders for endorsing her, Hon. Courtès thanked Hon. Macharia for his effective leadership of AGM Bureau.
She further assured him that the plans to host the best ever 40th AGM and 40th Anniversary for Shelter Afrique were at an advanced stage and that the beautiful hardworking people of Cameroon were well prepared and eager to host the 44 Housing Ministers and 44 Finance Ministers that would be arriving in Yaounde, Cameroon from the 20th to the 25th of June 2021.
“We are looking forward to hosting the Finance Ministers and Housing Ministers that will be present from the 44 member countries, Africa Development Bank, Africa-Re, global lenders from EIB, AFD, BOAD, KfW, NCBA, Ghana International Bank and other key stakeholders in the housing and financial sectors,” Mrs. Courtes said.
Appreciating Mr. Macharia for his great leadership and welcoming Mrs. Courtes as new Chairperson and Honorable Garwe as new Vice-Chairman, Shelter Afrique Chief Executive Officer Andrew Chimphondah promised that this year’s AGM will go beyond the financials, not just because of the prevailing situations presented by a global pandemic but because the Company will also be marking its 40th Anniversary.
“Our 40th year will be one of retrospection. We believe as we navigate this new decade and the realities that this pandemic has thrown into sharp relief, there is a need to review Africa’s housing policy environment,” Mr. Chimphondah said.
“Not merely to measure growth, successes and challenges but, more importantly, to forecast the next forty years to shape policy for our member-states and the way we approach low-cost large-scale delivery of housing in Africa.”
Mr Chimphondah also thanked the Bureau members for their stewardship during the pandemic and noted that it had enabled The Company to record its first profit in five years and successfully conclude a Debt Restructure Agreement with global lenders. This marked the effective turnaround The Company from previous woes.
