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A Kenyan diaspora lobby group has written to Donald Trump Administration seeking to have the administration pressurize Kenya over the repeat presidential election set for October 26th.
In their petition, Kenya Patriotic Movement (KEPAM) has expressed its worries over the rising tension surrounding the fresh poll following Supreme Court decision that nullified incumbent President Uhuru's August 8th victory.
"As Kenyan Americans under the banner of a lobby group called Kenya Patriotic Movement (KEPAM) (www.kepam254.org) we are a worried lot about the tension that is piling up in our mother country following the annulment of a Presidential election held on August 8th," their petition reads in part.
It adds: "The ghosts of the post-election violence of 2007/2008 are fresh in our memories. A repeat of the same will completely undermine Kenya’s peace, ruin investor confidence, hurt the tourism sector and even endanger the wellbeing of the diplomatic community in the country,".
The group points out to the significance of Kenya's stability, being home to International bodies and institutions.
"Remember, Kenya is home to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as well as the United Nations centre for human settlement (Habitat). This makes the country the only developing country with a high caliber UN office,".
The group has appealed to Trump's administration through Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, to mount pressure on the Kenyan government and the country’s electoral commission (IEBC) to agree and implement minimum reforms before a repeat Presidential election conducted.
" This is the surest way to ensure that the exercise is free, fair and credible,".
The group further puts a reference of the post election skirmishes that rocked the country after the 2007 disputed presidential poll, which they say should be prevented at all costs.
"A stolen election catalyzed massive violence in 2007/2008 which made Kenyans kill each other. The same is likely to happen again if contingency measures are not put in place to avert it,".
They also accuse President Uhuru of beating drums of war following the invalidation of his victory by the apex court early this month.
"The Supreme Court annulled the Presidential election on September 1st where it cited massive irregularities and illegalities. The faction of the incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta is beating war drums by accusing the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of the opposition leader Raila Odinga,".
" The political opposition which won the court petition for the election annulment wants minimum electoral reforms so that there will be a level playing field in the Presidential contest,".
"The current Kenyan government is afraid of reforms since it could have been a beneficiary of the bungled election annulled on September 1st. The electoral body is coerced by the incumbent to let the status quo remain. Regular citizens are afraid," it notes.
"The diplomats fear for their safety. Foreign investors are ambivalent to pursue or increase investment in Kenya. Also, Kenya boarders the volatile Somalia region, which is home to Al-Shabaab terrorist group who may take advantage of the current tension in the country to carry out their evil mission like they have done before,".
"We believe the USA is our big brother in terms of strengthening democratic institutions, advancing Peace and Security and supporting economic development in Kenya. Anything that jeopardizes the rule of law, social justice, peace and tranquility will affect these. In fact, if Kenya is hurt it may affect the US and the larger international community," It concludes.
KEPAM is lobby is officially registered in New Jersey and has close partnership with KEPAM Nairobi.
The Petition can be found here.
Comments
@Ndikwenda Wana. You at right, this are bustards NASA moles hiding behind diaspora name. Trump is not a stupid person to be manipulated by thugs like them. He can read behind the line. Which diaspora people are this thugs claiming to represent? They are low level intelligent beings that cannot take a no for an answer or accept a defeat. Again, circumcision is the remedy.
Correct. Tukutanie Debe. Raila Tibim!
@Ndikwenda Wana. I just found out who you are and I sincerely pity you! I will not make any comments about anything that you post here! Pole sana Ndugu!
Oh we now have a sleuth in the house...how could you possibly know this unless you hacked mwakilishi servers? Do I see a trend here...like in hacking servers...?
@ Imara are you sure you are not jealous? You know sometimes your writings portray a life of a confused person;lost in the wilderness, contrary to what Imara stands for, more like kigeugeu. Heard that kigeugeu song? Will not hold you for long, I realize you have to go back to writing your Toroitich hallucinations .
This is just a parallel NASA strategy to seek sympathy from the Trump administration. Compare the contents of their request and they are no different from NASA's demands. Purporting to call themselves diaspora is a mis-characterization. Call yourself Kenya NASA diaspora. That way you leave me out of this. I am not party in your plan and desire to destroy Kenya.
Stupid NASA moles in America – have common sense! Tell your bastard Raila to tow-the-line and follow Supreme Court directives of new elections in 60 days. Donald Trump will care less about Black Africa let alone Black Americans. What do you think Trump will do for you? Install your God Raila to the Kenyas Kingdom? Be specific on who you are when you talk about Diaspora. Not everyone in Diaspora appreciates Raila’s revolutionary agenda.
Any country that has run a democracy for a long time knows that the Supreme Court of Kenya messed up.It is unethical and wrong for a supreme court to nullify the clear(1.4M votes) will of the people.The collective decision of the supreme court taking into consideration the minority opinion basically meant that: There was nothing wrong with the election other than insignificant technicalities,but the supreme court abused its judical power and thus made a mistake by annulling the election.Credit should be given to President UHURU, his Deputy and the entire Jubilee Party machinery and weight for providing leadership in the country and maintaining the Peace and Stability in the country even during this period.This why Kenyans will continue to vote for the Jubilee Party with even greater majorities.UHURUTO TANO TENA.
Jubilee corrupted most of those IEBC officers and that's why they would not agree to let them go simply because they must deliver a "win" next month or else.
Trump can't assist his friend get elected in Alabama and you think he can help you!! We have refused UN to assists in our elections and you think we will allow Trump.? Tukutane kwa debe wacha kumangamanga for assistance.
Kepam has not specified what want from Trump. To say "pressure Kenya..."is very vague. Do they want Trump to withhold financial handouts,pull its base from mombasa,tell uhuruto,and rao not to ever step in USA...?
Which dumb people came up with that idea?
The dumb of the dumbest...
This jubilee sychophants are at it again .If they are real men they need to man up and tell us the uncircumcised and thus uncivilized lot why they killed Chris Msando only for them to loose the election.Karma is a bitch but she gives just rewards .Form your KCA and swaer in your kamwana the rest of us would care less.
Who are these diaspora representative that are not known by any diaspora person, i have been in TX over ten years and have not heard this group.if you never represented us be4 why waste your time now, you are RAO guys and you represent NASA and not Kenya. Raila will not be ready for re election even if Chiloba resign, he will bring another impossible argument b4 election, by the way he need to start campaign time is running out otherwise he will get 4million votes this time.
K.A.R.A.O - Kenyans Against Raila Amolo Ojinga
Did these people follow Trump campaign and hear his view about "America First'. Trump has to time for such nonsense
Kenya's opposition unable to deal with real issues in Kenya have always opted for foreign intervention. I think colonial mentality runs deep in those who played minimal role in freedom of our nation. As they say in America-freedom is not free. To be totally free like Bob sang "Emancipate Yourself From Mental Slavery"
This is the same group that had convinced the former ambassador to talk to the former asst.secretary of state Carson to issue the "choices have consequences" in 2013 to help Raila but it backfired and both Carson and the Ambassador lost their jobs. Bure kabisa.
Yes,we need Trump's intervention and above all,Gods guidance and power to oust out these power hungry jubilee govt.They are now amending our Constitution to suit their rigging plans.All this will fail in Jesus name
Trump has not time for that. Do you watch the news and hear his opinion about other countries?
I am a Member of the Group. And Uthamaki must go once and for all!
Go and vote.
Sasa imekuwa Trump saidia? What is wrong with these people. Raila loses an election and they all go crazy?
Raila will even blame the wind for anything that befalls him.. and his worshipers will follow him blindly. Who bewitched Raila, as Mugabe always asks???
Waoh! Ati Trump ? The same Trump who said his friends come to Africa to enrich themselves . Na kweli inferiority complex is such a sad thing!
Raila never lost. uhuru wiru neva beat alaila.
Kenya diaspora remits money which keeps the Kenya shilling floating together with foreign investors . From the actions of Raila asking for boycotting foreign goods makes me wonder what he will do if he becomes president .
He is telling lie after lie he is kind of forcing people to go to the street . He refuses for dialogue with IEBC . He want chaos . No wonder since in 2008 he told CNN he would not ask the people to stop killing each other. He want to be president at all costs . It is unfortunate cause many have lost faith in him
why would Trump help Kenya? am sure he will not help someone connected to Obama but asking his Help is shameful . He is not able to help his own people . Trumps is racist see what he is doing with NFL which players are mostly african american . we have too many lobbies whose aim mainly is donations they receive
I am shocked of the outbursts from some of the articles in this forum. Close scrutiny has revealed that some contributors do not want to embrace reason if talk is against Uhuru and Jubilee. If you are sincere and are following the recent state of affairs in Kenya, you can not fail to get concerned especially over the way UHURUTO and Jubilee are conducting and running the country.
Deceit and recklessness can not take the country anywhere than plunging her into chaos. Other than being driven by tribal inclinations, the contributors who are referring those in the Diaspora seeking intervention from Trump as stupid, my request to you is that you think twice. Some of us in the Diaspora are neither Kikuyu nor Kalenjins nor Luo. But we also share our motherland and must point out the evils commited by UHURUTO and Jubilee. It is naive to think that those who oppose the duo are the Luo. Far from it, the duo have ruined the country and if they are not stopped, Kenya will never be the same. Some of us have followed the politics in Kenya from the days of Older Kenyatta, who had the advantage of being the first president. The dictatorship of Moi is still fresh in our minds. The theft of elections in 2007-2008 is still fresh in our minds. You know the results! I however commend Kibaki for having been more mature and cool. The two youngsters in charge came together due to The Hague and ICC. And they have and are taking the country down the slippery slope. If they are not stopped now, Kenya will be ruined for good. Right now Uhuru is trying to curtail the freedom of expression. Kenya has been there before. We know the echoes of repression, subjugation, detention and dictatorship from the Moi regime which lasted for too long, nearly a 1/4 of a century. The joblessness currently experienced in Kenya is a spillover from the many years of one a shrewd man, who would say one thing but do another. He injected the use of money in corrupting our people. He relied on the use of money to weather storms. This is what is still happening, buying support not reason and logic. A country can not be governed like that.
If you can not pinpoint what is ailing Kenya, but simply spew venom because one of your own is at the helm, let me tell you. You can't suppress a people for ever! There reaches a time when the tide changes. And as it is, that time for Kenya is now. Kenyans are tired and I can categorically say here, unless reason prevails in UHURUTO and Jubilee, Kenya will never be the same again. Kenyans are not ready for another dictatorship, it ended with Moi and if UHURUTO want to bring it back, they will be shocked. The resistance will be too enormous for the duo to contain. Who are their advisors? Some of us witnessed all the happenings since Mzee Kenyatta. If UHURUTO can not embrace democracy and freedom, the voices of the people and people's power will sweep them.
As Martin Ngatia says these are leaders of darkness and death.
Imara. You need a new set of brain(s) not a new (convoluted) name. Jeez!
That is a piece of garbage, pro Rao thugs in Diaspora running to Trump since Obama figured them out. Trump has no interest in black pple and could care less