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Kenyan opposition leader, Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, while attending the second day of the devolution conference, didn’t take any hostages as he went in and ridiculed the United States Ambassador, Meg Whitman, for her comments a day earlier. Meg Whitman had said that the 2022 general election in Kenya had been the freest, fairest, and most credible election held in the country.
Opposition Irked
These comments weren’t taken lightly by the opposition, however, as reflected in Raila Odinga’s comments while addressing the second day of the devolution conference, a conference marking 10 years of devolved government in Kenya. Odinga came out very eloquent and gave a powerful speech which he capped with his ridicule of the ambassador.
“Shut your Mouth! Kenya is not a colony of the United States” – Raila to Meg Whitman
“Shut your mouth!.. Kenya is not a colony of the United States”, Raila said, moments after referring to U.S. ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman as “the rogue ambassador”. Raila went on to threaten that if Whitman didn’t stop her tirade, Kenya would call for her recall back to the United States. The ridicule by the opposition leader reflected the views of the opposition in Kenya, with government-allied legislators coming out to defend Amb. Whitman.
An Unsteady Political Landscape in Kenya
The exchange comes at a delicate time in Kenyan politics, with the leading ‘Kenya Kwanza’ coalition in dialogue talks with the opposition ‘Azimio la Umoja’ coalition. These bilateral talks are now underway after the country was rocked with extremely violent demonstrations, that were called for by the opposition, with the main bone of contention being the high cost of living in the country.
The Brunt of Azimio Protests
The Azimio protests in the last few months saw more than 30 people killed, allegedly by police, who were accused of firing live bullets at protestors. There were also allegations that the government had unleashed plain-clothed police death squads on protestors, with some of the victims even being attacked while in their homes.
Read more on the protests or ‘maandamano’ below.
Opinion: Were Meg Whitman’s Comments Insensitive?
Yes. Meg Whitman’s comments, albeit being her way to sell Kenya as a suitable place for American investment, were insensitive to the opposition party’s plight; especially considering that their contesting of the 2022 general elections was one of the main agenda of the protests and now also the subsequent dialogue.
Read more on Azimio One Kenya’s contesting of the 2022 general election results below.
Meg Whitman, in my view, should be keen to consider the political climate of the country before making comments that may seem unfair, insensitive, or playing against either side in the dialogue. Like all ambassadors, she should be a neutral party and support the dialogue as a way of ensuring the country remains at peace and is ripe for foreign investment, including from the United States of America.
