About 25 US activists and analysts with good understanding of Kenyan politics will be informing the Donald Trump led administration on the importance and possible dangers of Kenya’s elections.
According to Daily Nation, they have been meeting regularly in the past weeks in Washington where they exchange information and lay groundwork to compel the Trump administration’s influence in forthcoming Kenya’s polls.
The group has been working under the name, Kenya working Group.
They have been invited to several state briefs for State Department officials on the possible risks that come with the election and the kind of response the country gets from the U.S should violence break out.
However, even with their recommendation and assessment of possible outcome of the elections, it is not clear if this has gotten to Trump himself.
Sarah Margon of the Human Rights Watch and former US Ambassador to Kenya Mark Bellamy have expressed concerns with the group’s ability to shape US policy to Kenya since there is a void in filling some posts in the White House and State Department.
Margon said in spite of the group members being in constant touch with Trump officials, they have not gotten any response yet on their suggestions on how the US can step in promoting a free, fair and credible electoral process.
This is as Robert Godec (US Ambassador to Kenya) has been working tirelessly in ensuring that the elections on August 8 will be flawless.
According to the former envoy to Kenya, the Kenya Working Group seeks to meet with former US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Kerry is co-leading an election monitoring team sponsored by the Carter Centre together with Former Prime Minister for Senegal Aminata Toure. They will have about 70 observers in polling stations.
He said that the group upon meeting Kerry will underscore the consequences of election turning chaotic.
They will also discuss with Kerry the role that the US can play in case of such an eventuality.
Bellamy noted that Trump administration has a role to play in pushing Kenyan government to “enhance credibility of the IEBC” as it is important to have the commission perceived as impartial and effective.
The Working Group provides a forum for politicians and activist visiting from Kenya in Washington. It is not allied to any political faction in the country nor in the US as Belamy states.
The group does not receive any funding either.