The United States government has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta and his challenger Raila Odinga to resolve thorny issues surrounding the repeat polls before October 17.
US government’s Bureau of African Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Donald Yamamoto said all eyes are on Kenya.
Yamamoto added the US government has reached out to top political officials in Kenya informing them their actions and decisions are closely being watched by the world.
“Kenya’s on — probably on — the threshold of a great election on October 17, but it’s the issues that we need to focus on and work with … the eyes of the world and the US government are on you, on Kenya,” said Yamamoto as according to Daily Nation.
This is the first time an official serving in the Donald Trump administration spoke publicly about the Kenyans polls besides US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec who has issued several statements in the past.
The Bureau of African Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary noted the US will continue having its eyes on Kenya because “they have stake”.
“We’re not going to take our eyes away from it (Kenya). Kenya matters. If our largest embassy is in Nairobi, Kenya, that means we have a stake in that country, and Africa has a stake, and this government’s looking at where the trend lines will go after October 17,” noted the top official in President Trump’s administration.
Security, social and political matters; fight against drug trafficking, terrorism and money laundering are some of the operations Kenya has established close links with the US.
He spoke days before IEBC holds a consultative meeting with Uhuru and Raila at the Bomas of Kenya on Wednesday.
“I am positive that we are going to sit down and for the sake of the country, we shall come up with a solution to any issues that might be a roadblock to the holding of the elections on October 17,” read a tweet from IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati on Friday.
IEBC will among other things re-vet returning officers, conduct an audit on their servers and clear the air on ballot printing tender row.
NASA is opposed to having Dubai based printing firm Al Ghurair print the Presidential ballot papers for repeat polls.
NASA also wants 11 officials sacked among them CEO Ezra Chiloba.
By Pharis Kinyua. He’s an online Journalist and an author for Jamhuri News