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U.S. Ambassador: Kenya’s 2022 Elections Were the Most Credible in History
Meg Whitman, the United States Ambassador to Kenya, has said that the August 2022 General Election was the most credible poll the country has ever held. She made the remarks at the opening of the Devolution Conference in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on Wednesday.
Ms. Whitman said that the elections were free, fair, and credible, and that the results were upheld by the Kenyan Supreme Court. She also cited both local and international observers who concurred with the poll results.
“I arrived in Kenya days before the August 2022 General Election; what I witnessed was nothing short of remarkable,” she said. “Kenya held, what many analysts and commentators say, was the free-est, fairest and most credible election in Kenyan history.”
Ms. Whitman went on to say that the U.S.-Kenya trade partnership has been beneficial to both countries’ citizens, and that her main focus since taking up duty has been to strengthen it.
“When I was a CEO, I’ll be honest, I probably thought about Africa 1 per cent of the time; many businesses I managed were elsewhere,” she said. “But if I were back on the boardroom today, Africa would be on my radar for two very simple reasons; supply chain diversification, and net zero emissions.”
Odinga Hits Out at US Ambassador Over ‘Credible’ Election Remarks
Raila Odinga, leader of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party, criticized US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman on Thursday for her remarks that the August 2022 general election was the most credible poll the country has ever held.
Odinga, who was addressing the Devolution Conference in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, said that Whitman’s comments were an interference in Kenya’s internal affairs. He also accused her of being a “rogue ambassador” and warned that the opposition would petition the US government to recall her if she continued to comment on Kenyan issues.
“Kenya is not the United States and it is not a colony of the United States,” Odinga said. “Keep your mouth shut while you are here, otherwise we will call for your recall back to your country.”
Odinga’s remarks come after similar criticism from other Azimio MPs, who have accused Whitman of undermining the ongoing national dialogue.
Ambassador Whitman, who was speaking at the opening of the same Devolution Conference on Wednesday, had said that the 2022 polls affirmed Kenya’s position as the most democratic state in Africa.
“I arrived in Kenya days before the August 2022 General Election, and what I witnessed was nothing short of remarkable,” she said. “Kenya held, what many analysts and commentators say, was the freest, fairest and most credible election in Kenyan history.”
“The elections were observed by international and local organizations, and the results were upheld by the Kenyan Supreme Court, and power was transferred orderly and peacefully.”
Odinga and other opposition leaders have disputed the results of the election, alleging widespread irregularities. They have also accused the government of suppressing dissent and cracking down on protests.
The national dialogue, which is being led by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa from the Kenya Kwanza faction and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka from the opposition, is aimed at resolving the political crisis in Kenya.
President Ruto Defends US Ambassador Whitman
President William Ruto on Friday defended US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman after Opposition leader Raila Odinga threatened her over her remarks on the 2022 General Election.
Speaking at the Official 2Jiajiri/GIZ Graduation Ceremony in Kasarani, President Ruto slammed Odinga for “glorifying demonstrations” and making “careless remarks” against the US envoy.
He said that the US is Kenya’s largest export market and that making defamatory comments against the ambassador would damage the country’s economy.
“It would be very ungrateful for us to vilify the people who are creating opportunities for us,” Ruto said. “We have Ksh.200 billion investment from the American government and huge investments from Germany and other countries. We must secure those interests.”
Ruto also reiterated that the US ambassador’s remarks were simply stating facts.
“The American Ambassador said two statements of fact: that the last election was the freest and fairest in Kenya’s history and that Kenya is open for business,” he said. “Let us have some decorum and respect ourselves as we demand respect from others.”
The president then contrasted the US’s investment in Kenya with the opposition’s protests, saying that the former was creating jobs and developing the economy while the latter was destroying property and sabotaging the country.
“I was just imagining…between the people who are orchestrating the destruction of property and sabotaging our economy and those who are working with us to create investments, who between the two is actually rogue?” he asked.
Ruto concluded by saying that the US is a valuable partner for Kenya and that the country should do everything it can to maintain a good relationship with the US.
“America is our largest export market and we are working to make it even better,” he said. “We have created investments with the American government alone, whether it is Moderna, which is going to invest almost Ksh.70 billion, or others in the technology space which are going to give us almost Ksh.200 billion investments.
Mandago Arrested in Finland Scholarship Scam; Released on Bail
Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago was arrested on Wednesday afternoon in Eldoret and taken to Nakuru. He is a primary suspect in the Finland and Canada scholarship scam that saw parents and students from the county lose over Ksh 1 billion.
The arrest came after the National Police Service (NPS) issued a warrant for Mandago’s arrest on Wednesday morning. The NPS said that Mandago had “gone underground since yesterday” and called on him to present himself at the nearest police station.
Mandago’s arrest is a major breakthrough in the investigation into the scholarship scam, which has caused widespread anger and resentment among parents and students in Uasin Gishu County. The scam saw parents and students pay money to the county government in the hope of securing scholarships to study in Finland and Canada. However, the scholarships never materialized, and the money is believed to have been embezzled by Mandago and his associates.
On Thursday, Mandago and two of his co-accused were released on bail. The three appeared before the Nakuru court, where Senior Principal Magistrate Alloyce Ndege ordered them to pay a bond of Ksh.2 million shillings with a surety of the same amount, or a cash bail of Ksh.500,000. They are to return to court at a later date for plea-taking.
The Senator is among three others who are facing charges in connection with the Finland and Canada Overseas Education Programme, which has been mired in scandal. The other two are ex-officials Joseph Maritim and Meshack Rono. Maritim, who was not present in court because he is currently out of the country, still has an arrest warrant against him.
The three are accused of conspiring to steal Ksh.1.1 billion from a Kenya Commercial Bank account in Eldoret registered under the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund. The money was intended for overseas university fees for scholarship students.
Maritim’s lawyer, Sam Yego, has requested that the bond terms also apply to his client and that the arrest warrant be lifted. He argued that Maritim is not a fugitive and that he was not summoned to record a statement or appear in court. He also said that Maritim went to Canada before the investigations began.
Pastor Ezekiel Odero fights back after State deregisters his church
Pastor Ezekiel Odero has appealed the Registrar of Societies’ decision to deregister his ministry, Newlife Prayer Centre and Church. He argues that the deregistration is illegal and should be set aside.
Odero’s lawyers have written to the Attorney General, asking him to address the matter within 90 days. They say that the church remains open while they await the AG’s response.
The lawyers have raised several concerns about the deregistration, including the fact that the Gazette Notice was issued on August 3, 2023, even though the cancellation was made in May. They also say that no notice to close the church was ever served, and that no notice to show cause was issued, as required by the law.
In addition to Newlife Prayer Centre and Church, four other churches were deregistered through the Gazette Notice dated August 3, 2023. These are Goodnews International Ministries, Helicopter of Christ Church, and the Royal Park Home Owners Estate Association Langata.
Odero’s lawyers say that the deregistration of these churches is part of a wider pattern of harassment by the government against religious leaders who are critical of the government.
They have called on the Attorney General to intervene and ensure that the churches are not deregistered illegally.
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