Notwithstanding the White House’s decision to abstain from intervening in the dispute between President William Ruto and his rival Raila Odinga, President Joe Biden’s confidence in the current administration was made clear in a letter from US ambassador Meg Whitman.
Whitman expressed support for Ruto and his plans to revamp Kenya’s economy in a letter dated February 6 that was sent to Biden’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa.
HUSSEIN MOHAMMED
The wealthy diplomat sent an invitation to the chair of the council to attend the American Chamber of Commerce Regional Business Conference in Nairobi on May 29–30 through the paper. Whitman was open about the reality on the ground, according to US strategists, despite the fact that the US has expanded its operations in Kenya since Ruto assumed the presidency.
She praised Ruto for being a capable leader with a clear strategy for turning his nation into a regional economic powerhouse.
“The New President, William Ruto, is very strong. He is smart, strategic, and gets things done. He is hands-on and easy to work with.
In part, the letter obtained by Wakenyaleo.co.ke read, “He knows that economic growth and development is the way forward and has set a goal for advancing Kenya’s drive to achieve upper middle-income country status by 2030.
Whitman noted that Ruto had chosen a capable Cabinet and was implementing changes to further enhance the business climate in the nation. Her assertion runs counter to the opposition’s charge that Ruto has appointed leaders whose moral character is under question.
A few days after they were sworn in, the Director of Public Prosecution, Noordin Haji, dismissed the graft cases that several appointees had to contend with in court.
Whitman noted the construction of multiple multinational corporations as evidence of Ruto’s desire to cooperate with the US in the wake of the development of the silicon savannah and the country’s workforce.
“The greatest resource in Kenya is its people. They are well-educated, fluent in English, diligent, economical, and have a very low turnover rate “Whitman composed.
She added that the country boasts technological innovation to facilitate business and mobile money. In addition, the country has a diverse manufacturing industry. Kenya was a country worth investing in with its widespread infrastructure, including a vast road network, and stable electricity supply.
She claims that the Head of State is a peacemaker and points to Kenya’s participation in peace initiatives in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, initiatives that were partly directed by the late President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Whitman sent an invitation to the council’s chair to attend the May 29–30 Regional Business Summit of the American Chamber of Commerce in Nairobi.
She stated that the August 2022 election was the most transparent and fair since Kenya gained independence in terms of politics. This was a setback for Raila Odinga and his supporters, who had organized widespread demonstrations to pressure Ruto into acceding to their demands.
On Tuesday, March 28, Raila blasted international powers, stating that they were hell-bent on preserving Ruto and neglected to call out the government for using excessive force on demonstrators.
The White House responded by encouraging peaceful protests, denouncing violence, and advising the government to practice tolerance through the State Department’s spokesman Vedant Patel.
“We call on government security forces to act with restraint while protecting public safety and property. The rights to freedoms of expression and association and the right to peaceful assembly are core tenets to democracy,” Vedant Patel stated.
Foreign policy specialist John Gachie told Wakenyaleo.co.ke that Biden’s remarks did not present a different viewpoint from America’s first stance.
He clarified that Whitman’s letter was written during a time of tranquility in the country and that every foreign government has interests in a host state. The political landscape has evolved since then, though.
Whether they are political, economic, social, or democratic, every nation has interests. The ambassador promoted American economic interests in February 2023, which is why there is a tendency to lean toward the government.
“However, the US also has its political interests and cannot be seen to support a government or the opposition at a time when democracy is at stake. That explains the call for Ruto and Raila to hold talks.”
