Kenya Doesn't Need US Intervention to End Political Impasse, Foreign Affairs PS Macharia Kamau Says
Kenya does not need any intervention from the United States to end alleged political impasse in the country, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau has said.
“With memories of US interventions in countries such as Libya and Iraq ostensibly to return democracy, still fresh in our minds, the jitters about this proposal by senior US leaders is understandable,” Ambassador Kamau said in a statement.
“Any form of interference by the US in a country that has time and again demonstrated her commitment to entrench democratic principles, rule of law and good governance can only portend danger,” the former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York remarked.
Responding to former American ambassadors to Kenya Mark Bellamy and Johnnie Carson's calls to have President Donald Trump administration arbitrate the stalemate between Jubilee government and the opposition, Macharia noted that the calls by the two ex-envoys is "a clear demonstration of preconceived notions and stereotypes about Africa by the Western technocrats."
"Donald Trump's administration should privately pressure the Kenyan government to respect democratic norms and obey the rule of law," Bellamy and Carson said in a commentary appearing in African Arguments, an online journal published by the London-based Royal African Society.
They added that the US should exert considerable pressure on President Kenyatta's administration "because Kenya needs the relationship more than the US."
"The harsh reality for Nasa is that it has no legal basis and few realistic options for continuing to dispute Kenyatta’s legitimacy...meanwhile, the president’s control of the executive, comfortable parliamentary majorities, command of government resources, loyalty of the security forces, and broad international support means his standoff with Odinga is very unequal," the two said, adding that the standoff, therefore, needs an external arbiter.
However, in rejoinder, PS Macharia said: "This is a demonstration of why desk research on Kenya, with the only source of information being a biased western media, should be treated with disdain."
"The authors seem to revel in misinforming their readers not only on the existing situation but also on the events that unfolded during Kenya’s election cycle in 2017," he says in the statement released on Tuesday.
He added: "They talk of political chaos and possible inter-communal violence and a palpable desire to change this trajectory. They even mourn that attempts by western governments to appeal for calm are not being heeded."
"Competitive politics in a democracy, both in America and in Africa, can never be described as turmoil. Indeed, political competition is a key tenet of democracy and Kenya has demonstrated that with strong institutions, credible and peaceful elections are possible," he said.
Comments
Tell the Americans the truth…
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Tell the Americans the truth.Which is Jubilee is in bed with Al shabab and your not intrested in fighting anything terror related, you just want their money.
Keep NASA,NRM and Raila out of your foolishness.
Choke on that poison you thought your going to use to kill us with.
Kufeni pekee yenu.
Kenya needs a LEGITIMATE…
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In reply to Tell the Americans the truth… by Guest5 (not verified)
Kenya needs a LEGITIMATE President; and this hasN'T happened since 2007.
Uhuru and Ruto: …
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Uhuru and Ruto:
There are other people in Kenya beside Wainana, Njoroge, Kamau, Kipronos, Kipkorech, Kipteret who can be appointed to key positions in our country.
Aren't ashamed of your ethnic chauvinism in appointing over 50% of key positions from your two (Chamugee and wi mwega) micro-nations in a country with about 42 distinct ethnic groups in Kenya? Shame on you!
Imara, Guest1 and Guest5,…
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Imara, Guest1 and Guest5, can you be a conductor of a bus whose driver you have doubt in qualifications and competence? AND Would you give a sword to your opponent in fist fight? We are not in a grand coalition government. In any democracy, the majority rules. Did Hon Trump dialogue with madam Clinton on how to form a gvrmnt or Any other democratic state in the world today? Why call for it in Kenya? Would you take a wife of your business rival to be the head cook in your house or the son to be the head of your security details? If you ever did, that is tantamount to suicide. The current regime in Kenya is doing its best ie they disburse funds to all county governments equitably as enshrined in our constitution regardless of political leanage. Lets reason together and use the two houses to dialogue not egocentric individuals.
@Between Lines:…
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@Between Lines:
Ndugu, let us compare what Uhuru has done in Kenya to Barack Obama in the USA in terms of dishing out national appointments. There are enough Luo Americans in the USA who were qualified enough to take have taken all cabinet positions in his government but Barack did not appoint even one.
Let us scrutinize your argument: " ... would you take a wife of your business rival to be the head cook in your house or the son to be the head of your security details?"
A government is not a business corporation like Coca Cola or Pepsi Cola where you feel that you need loyalty in order to keep the wealth among family members! My goodness! Kenya government belongs to the people and the people pay taxes that all the government employees receive as their monthly salaries.
Barack Obama did not employ Luo Americans to be the head cook in the White House or be the head of his security details. There is something intrinsically in wrong in our country when you read names of key positions and notice the many faces lacking from other micro-nations that have been denied access to any key position 54 years after independence.
IMARA, You talk of USA as if…
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IMARA, You talk of USA as if its acronym for Ugenya Siaya Alego. Take a look at who was who in the ODM side of the Grand Coalition gvn We cannot all be Cs or gvnmt apointees. We cannot all be clrks or presidents. Siasa mbaya, maisha mbaya.
LATE Jomo had Jaramogi as his Vp (Luo) He later shifted to Mrumbi (Maasai) be4 settling on Moi (Kalenjin)
Moi had Kibaki(Kikuyu) as the VP. He also had Saitoti(Maasai)and Msalia (Luhya) We have also had Moody (Luhya) Wamalwa(Luhya) Raila (Lou) as Prime minister Kalonzi (Kamba) as VP and currentry Uhuru(Kikuyu) with Ruto (kalenjin) as deputy.
ANALYSIS
Kikuyu = 4
Luhya = 3
Maasai =2
Luo =2
Kamba =1
Others =0. who is supposed to complain most? Rem we have had only 4 prezos.
When I said you cannot take wife of,, . This is figurative phrase. When you say Barak did not employ Luos. They belong to Kenya not Americans. It is true we all pay taxes but all cannot be ministers and what we pay is channeled back thro County gvnmt. What do u do with ua pesa as a county.
@Between lines:…
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@Between lines:
You said, "When you say Barack did not employ Luos. They belong to Kenya not America."
I meant, there are enough Luo's in the US who have taken American citizenship, hold an American passport but, Barack did not employ even one of them in a cabinet position. I did not mean Luos living in Kenya!
Do you remember Dr. Kissinger, he was the secretary of state during the Nixon and Ford administrations. He was born in Germany and later migrated to the USA. He was a German American. My point is simple. Uhuru has a lot to learn from Barack Obama about job appointments in a country with 42 distinct micro-nations.
The so called Luhya is a collection of 18 distinct micro-nations who were lumped together by the British the same way one would lump all the Gikuyu, Meru, Tharaka, Mbeere, Gichugu, Kamba, Ndia, Embu into a single ethnic group. Therefore, I ask you to delete the word "Luhya" from your lexicon.
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