Azimio One Kenya Alliance has been alarmed by remarks made by US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman at the 8th Devolution Conference now taking place in Eldoret, with opposition leader Raila Odinga and senators urging her to stay out of domestic affairs.
Odinga, who was welcomed by Council of Governors (CoG) Chairperson Ms. Anne Waiguru and a number of governors, including Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, at the conference venue, started his speech with the Swahili proverb “nyani haoni kundule,” which translates to “the monkey does not see his ass,” criticizing the sincerity of the Ruto administration.
A day after Whitman pledged her support for President William Ruto’s administration, recognizing his victory in last year’s presidential elections as legitimate and promising the current administration complete support and closer ties with the US government, Odinga reprimanded the ambassador on Thursday. Senators from the Azimio political party described the envoy’s remarks as insensitive to Kenyans in light of the current situation in the nation.
“I want to tell the rogue ambassador, leave Kenyans alone,” Odinga said in his parting shot while delivering a keynote address at the Devolution conference on Thursday afternoon.
“If ‘maandamano’ (demos) can lead to dialogue between Ichungwah and Kalonzo, then everything is good in ‘maandamano’ (demos),” he stated, cheering from a section of the delegates.
“Tell the rogue ambassador, Kenya is neither the US nor is it a colony of the United States. Keep your mouth shut while you are here. Otherwise, we will call for your recall back to your country,” he added.
Shortly after his senators from the Azimio brigade criticized the US envoy at a press conference for her remarks at the Devolution conference, where she supported the election of President William Ruto, the opposition leader responded.
The Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya alliance vigorously challenged the results of the 2022 General Election, and the Supreme Court ultimately upheld Ruto’s victory, much to the chagrin of the Opposition.
Whitman did not hide her excitement for the country’s investment prospects and climate in her speech, which argued forcefully for Kenya as Africa’s best investment destination for the international community. She noted that the Ruto administration has made significant progress and is dedicated to creating a business-friendly environment.
The US envoy who visited Kenya in July 2023, right before the most recent general election, stated that she was working closely with the government to strengthen trade ties between the US and Kenya.
“I arrived in Kenya days before the August 2022 General Election. What I witnessed was nothing short of remarkable, Kenya held what many analysts said was the freest, fairest, and most credible in Kenyan history,” she stated.
“The elections were observed by international organisations and upheld by the Supreme Court and power was transferred ordinarily and peacefully at the time,” she said.
The opposition Azimio brigade, who had fiercely contested the 2022 General Election, felt as though the statements had reopened a wound that had not yet fully healed.
Azimio expressed their anger with the envoy’s comments because they believed they were interfering in Kenyan matters.
Governors, on the other hand, were praised by Raila for putting aside their disagreements “and finding time away from our toxic politics to forge the way forwards for Kenya.”
Prior to Odinga’s arrival at the devolution forum, Azimio senators held a press conference to criticize Whitman, calling her remarks from the previous day disappointing and expressing the hope that they were merely personal opinions and did not reflect the viewpoint of the American government.
“In any case, Kenyan politicians and diplomats have never taken positions on American elections, imperfect and indecisive as they have been from the Bush/Al Gore to the Biden/Trump contests,” the senators stated.
Whitman made a strong case for Kenya as the best investment hub for the continent of Africa in her persuasive speech. She said that Kenya’s high tax burden was “alright” as long as it was consistent, while she praised Kenya for performing better than India and Venezuela in terms of fighting corruption and said that American businesses had no concerns doing business in Kenya.
Azimio senators responded, saying the comments were out of touch with Kenyan reality.
