The Meg Whitman debate
Biden's choice of Meg Whitman as his ambassador to Kenya was not by fluke but by design. A multibillionaire and a retired CEO of multibillion-dollar companies such as eBay, Meg's task was to reconnect Kenya to the US both as a source and a market for American companies.
This she did with great dedication.
Meg's aggressiveness may have favored the US and its companies but has had an opposite effect on how the US is viewed in Kenya.
The US was seen as meddling too much in Kenya, and at one time, during a devolution event that she attended in Eldoret, ODM leader Raila Odinga told her this to her face.
Raila is among the many leaders and Kenyans who feel that the US had a hand in denying him the presidency during the 2022 elections. Meg has been blamed for not upholding the human rights credentials that the US is known for.
She has been accused of being slow to condemn police brutality against young demonstrators in July and thus seen as an enabler of the mass abductions and killings.
She is likely to be the first victim of the Trump presidency as far as Kenya is concerned.
Biden - Trump transition
Most importantly, they will want to see how Trump reacts to concessions and agreements signed between Kenya under the Biden administration and how those will affect the US involvement in Kenyan politics.
It is not likely that Trump will roll back all the agreements signed under the Biden administration. It is also worth noting that not all agreements had been completed and some were yet to be signed.
There are limited clues on what he will keep and what he will not, but more assuredly, he will continue to pursue any agreement that favors the US economy without having to meddle in local politics.
Trump is not known to chase personal relations with African leaders.